


Antrie

by hello33willoTheWisp845



Series: Friendship, Love and Life [2]
Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Adventure, Desire, F/F, Fun, Love, Sex, friendships, relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-04-07 21:10:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 59,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19093207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hello33willoTheWisp845/pseuds/hello33willoTheWisp845
Summary: Root, B'Elanna and Seven land on Antrie and get to know the Antrans. Here, relationships with each other are examined and discarded and new relationships established. Seven and Kathryn find each other throughout story.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, here is my second part of my story. I translated my german text with google translator for you. Unfortunately, I can not speak English well enough to know if the translator translates everything correctly. I hope you can still read the story well. Have fun while reading.

**On the Voyager**

Before Root left Voyager and beamed to Antrie, she visited Seven again, who had served in the Astrometrical Laboratory a few hours earlier.  


"Hello sweetie." Welcoming Root Seven and Seven turned to Root and smiled gently at her.

"I wanted to say goodbye to you before I beam myself to Antrie." Root said, pulling Seven into her arms. Then she lowered her lips and breathed a tender kiss on Seven Lips. Seven returned the hug and the kiss, while also pulling Root very close to her body.

"Stay safe and take care of yourself." Seven said quietly as Root pulled away from her. "Please." said Seven and Root smiled gently at Seven.

"I'll take care of myself, promise. Take good care of yourself." asked Root and Seven nodded their heads.

Then Root turned around and wanted to leave astrometry. Before that, however, she was once again drawn into an intimate embrace of Seven, which Root firmly hugged. Root pushed Seven back and then broke away from her. Seven looked at Root sadly.

"Hey Sweetie, head up, it's only a few days and then I'm back here. Time will go by so fast that you will not notice that I am not here. Okay?" Root asked, giving Seven another peck on her cheek. Seven nodded her head and tried to put on a smile, which she did not quite succeed.

Root smiled back at Seven, then turned and left astrometry quickly. What Root did not know at the time was that Seven had hidden a kind of tracking device in Roots jacket pocket when they had just hugged each other. Seven simply had a better feeling when she could always locate Root through the direction finder.

***********************

While Root was beamed to the surface, Seven tried to concentrate on her shift. But the more she tried, the more she found it hard.

When the doors of astrometry suddenly opened, she was really glad for a distraction. But when she saw who was approaching her heart sank and she saw Lt. Torres frowns.

"How can I help?" She asked coolly and stiffly.

B'Elanna continued to approach Seven and stood in front of her. She had been thinking all morning about how to start apologizing to Seven.  
Luckily, there was a lot going on today so she could put off her visit to Seven in astrometry again and again. But when it was a lull, she unfortunately had no excuse. And so she had set off.

She immediately smelled Root's scent on Seven and she looked at Seven in amazement. Could it be that Root and Seven were lovers? B'Elanna wondered and her heart sank into the basement. She quickly tried to remember why she was here.

"Hm ... I came ... I wanted to apologize to you. I've behaved to you like the last ass and I'm very sorry. Please forgive me." It bubbled out of B'Elanna and she looked at Seven expectantly.

Seven looked at B'Elanna in surprise and confusion. She did not know how to react. Might she tell B'Elanna that she would have to think about it first? Or should she refuse her request for forgiveness if she did not think she wanted to forgive B'Elanna? Or did she have to answer now?

As Seven kept thinking, B'Elanna shifted from one foot to the other. The smell of Root at Seven almost drove her crazy. Her blood began to rush through her veins, and her heart beat faster and harder against her chest.

When Seven heard the loud and fast-pounding heart of B'Elanna, she looked at her with interest, forgetting what she was thinking about. She took a step toward B'Elanna, analyzing her all information provided and quickly processing her into her cortical knot.

"You are excited." Concluded Seven after a few moments and she continued to look at B'Elanna curiously. "Why?" She asked and B'Elanna looked at Seven speechless.

"Root" she just mumbled and Seven understood and her face softened and a smile graced her lips.

"Root" Seven said as well and both women looked deep into each other's eyes for a long moment.

"You smell like her." B'Elanna said after a long moment, embarrassed.

"And that excites you?" Seven asked.

B'Elanna just nodded her head, wondering how she could be so open to Seven. Yesterday, Seven was a non-person for her, which made her freak out on a regular basis and today she was attracted to her. Seven Smile looked adorable and her soft features lovely. How had she been able to overlook all this for the past two years?

"Yesterday, Root smelled like you and it aroused me too." confessed Seven cheerfully winked at B'Elanna.

B'Elanna looked at Seven stunned. She could not believe that Seven had just said that. Confused and incredulous, she cleared her throat and smoothed her uniform jacket.

"Do not worry, Root did not tell me why she smelled like you." Seven said to reassure B'Elanna.

"Good to know." muttered B'Elanna, looking sheepishly at Seven.

Then Seven did something B'Elanna never expected. She reached out her arm and offered it to B'Elanna so she could smell it. Immediately, B'Elanna's heart began to beat like a thunder and hit her breast. She took Seven's arm and held her wrist under her nose. The smell that went into her nose was heavenly. It was partly root, but quite a lot of Seven and the mix of the two made B'Elanna crazy. Quietly, she began to growl as her Klingon heritage erupted and made its way to her controlled surface. Her thoughts went a mile a minute to evaluate and reassess her options. She fought for control and lost the battle. Part of her knew that her behavior was completely original and she was not interested in it. She looked at Seven urgently. Then she brought the palm of Seven to her nostrils and took a deep breath.

Without being able to do anything or want to, B'Elanna bit into Seven's inner wrist and sucked the blood, which came out in itself. Seven groaned deeply, at the pain and she felt her own heart coming in line with B'Elanna's wildly throbbing heart. Both hearts beat at the same time, and Seven's blood was so intoxicating B'Elanna.

It was hard for her to break away from Seven and it took all her strength to lift her lips from Seven's wrist and step back from her. When she finally made it, a little howling escaped her and she needed another moment to regroup.

"You are familiar with Klingon mating rituals?" B'Elanna asked worriedly.

Seven smiled gently at B'Elanna and her eyes sparkled in love. Then she stepped close to her. "Yes." She said warmly. "I forgive you and I belong to you with everything I am and what I have, if you want to claim me." Seven said softly.

B'Elanna swallowed and looked at Seven silently.

"What about Root? I thought her both together already." B'Elanna asked in confusion.

"Root and I, we are not together yet, but when she returns from Antrie and she wants me, I will belong to her, with all I am and have." Seven said quite naturally.

"But ..." B'Elanna started, but Seven interrupted her.

"We Borg have no notion of monogamy. This concept is foreign to us. If you claim me I am yours. When Root claims me, I'm hers and yours. I do not see any contradiction in that." Seven said softly and stepped close to B'Elanna. Then she bent her head down to B'Elanna and kissed her lips, which still tasted of her blood. B'Elanna pulled Seven into her arms and hugged her tightly, returning Seven's kiss passionately and deeply.

When both women separated after half an eternity, B'Elanna could only growl with "mine" and Seven beamed overjoyed. "Yes, I am yours."

B'Elanna kissed Seven with happiness and desire once more, before abruptly interrupting the kiss, since she had a thought. "What about the captain?" She asked.

Seven frowned at her. "What about the captain?" She asked uncertainly.

"Well, I thought you and the captain ... I mean, you spend so much time together. No other crewmember spends so much time with the captain as you do. Myself, that's why, since you've come on board, you've been very jealous of yourself, which was one of the reasons I made your life difficult. So what about the Captain?" B'Elanna concluded her explanatory monologue.

Seven looked warmly at B'Elanna and put her hands on B'Elanna's hips and pulled her to her body. Then she stroked gently, some strands of hair from B'Elanna's face and put them behind her ear. Next, she leaned over to B'Elanna's ear and whispered softly into it. "I am yours. And as for the captain, she does not want me. She wants to fulfill her task as Captain and I do not fit into her concept of life. But what about Lt. Tom Paris? "Seven asked, pulling away from B'Elanna's ear and looking deep into her eyes.

B'Elanna swallowed at this news. It had to hurt Seven very much that the captain did not want to let her into her life because she had to and wanted to fulfill her duty as Capain.

"I asked him yesterday for a break in our relationship. I realized that Tom and I are not really together anymore." Explained B'Elanna.

"Oh." Just said Seven and B'Elanna looked at her in surprise. "More you do not say so?" She asked in surprise.

"No" Seven said smiling, pulling B'Elanna back into her arms and hugging her. Both of them put their lips together again and kissed one more time, first very gently and exploratively, but with every passing second the kiss became more explosive and heated. Everything around them faded and only they existed in a small universe of desire.


	2. Chapter 2

**Antrie**

Once Root had been beamed on the surface of Antrie, she enjoyed the sun, which shone gently and warmly on her face. She enjoyed it almost in a childlike way and was very happy. She had found a bank and sat down on it and closed her eyes. The fresh air blew around her nose and she greedily drew in the different smells that blew upon her from here and there.

She could not understand the people who could live on a spaceship for months without any fresh air and the sun. A few days it was bearable, but for months? No, the spacecraft was not for her. She was a child of the earth and that would not change anymore.

For a long time she sat there and finally could relax for days. Forgotten was her intention to look for components she needed to repair her drive adapter. In the moment she lived only for the moment.

The city she had been beamed into was like Las Vegas in the 21st century. Root almost felt at home, everywhere there were Antrans or other alien races, moving back and forth through the streets, making a pilgrimage from one casino to another and gambling or winning their money (or whatever currency they used). There was a lot of excitement, laughter or excited talk.

When Root closed her eyes, she could imagine travelling around New York. A smile stole across her face and she watched in fascination the Antrans or other aliens.

It's funny, as a child she always thought about whether there are aliens. She had read many books and newspaper articles on the subject and formed her own opinion. She has always been believed that there should be aliens, only that they lived very far away in other galaxies and therefore took so long to get to Earth.

For a while she had even been to a science club, exploring star charts in the night sky with the other nerds, mapping them, and making up names for each and every new star they discovered. But then she was still young, had dreams and a positive attitude to life, the universe and her position in it.

Yeah okay, even then she had a difficult life, but as soon as she could see the stars in the night sky with the Science Club Telescope her own problems were forgotten and the universe seemed to be at her feet. At that time she was 8/9 years old and knew almost all known star names by heart and could also find and determine the constellations with the telescope anytime, anywhere. But then she got older and Hanna, her best friend disappeared and her worldview was completely changed.

And now, centuries later, she was sitting on an alien planet and was herself an alien. Root had to giggle at this idea. *Crazy life. Shit life. * Root swore shortly afterwards and wiped the tears from her face angrily.

Then she got up and explored the city, looking for a specialist electronics store.

**Voyager**

Much too soon, the shipping business had brought B'Elanna and Seven back to the present and forced to part with each other and resume their work. Both had decided together to keep their new relationship for the time being secret. On the one hand not to hurt Tom anymore and not to bring him to stupid ideas and on the other they wanted to enjoy this sweet secret without critical glances or comments for themselves. In addition, she had agreed to take it slow and to take it step by step and get to know each other better.

Shortly before the end of the beta phase, the captain had convened a leadership briefing to get the latest reports on the various departments before most of their crew and senior officers began their earned shore leave the next morning.

When B'Elanna arrived in the conference room, she immediately wanted to sit next to Seven. But Seven looked at her a little shocked and shook her head unobtrusively. B'Elanna took the clues and sat down a little further from her, trying not to look over at Seven or make eye contact with her. The temptation was so great and it took B'Elanna's full willpower to counter it. She consoled herself with the fact that later she could hold Seven in her arms again when she came to her for dinner.

Tuvok, who was already present, had of course registered everything in his incessant attention and made mental notes to these Strange Behaviors.

When Tom and Harry entered the conference room and Tom stopped in the middle of walking because he did not really know where to sit, the Tuvok noted with interest.

Overall, the air in the conference room changed significantly as Tom sat down next to Harry, who had sat down next to B'Elanna. Most of the time, Tom looked at B'Elanna and hoped she would see him. But B'Elanna had to muster all her willpower not to look at Seven, so she did not even notice how Tom looked at her.

Seven squinted at B'Elanna unobtrusively now and then, studying her closely as she analyzed what had happened between her and B'Elanna.

***************************

Seven realized early on that B'Elanna was against her presence on Voyager. B'Elanna had openly shown her distaste for Seven, and she herself had valued this open-minded way more than the hidden hostility of the rest of the crew.

At B'Elanna she had always known what she was about and she was well prepared for it. For the rest of the crew, she was never sure how they stood with Seven and how they assessed their presence on Voyager. Only gradually does it become apparent in the different situations that Seven seldom could anticipate. And that made her very insecure. Seven did not appreciate this uncertainty, so she tried to avoid such a situation as much as possible, and if there was no other way, she did mimic the cool Borg who got nothing, insults, or funny or lustful looks.

But it was not that easy. For everything, every single comment, whether behind her back or a presumptuous hand, every appraising glance, everything did something in Seven's deepest inner, because she got it anyway. After all, she had an excellent hearing and she got every look that was thrown to her. Her Borgpanzer only helped her pretend that she could not touch her, but he did not help her blind and deaf. He also did not block the various sensations that came over them when someone said something derogatory to her or looked at her like a piece of meat just because she looked very feminine.

At Lt. B'Elanna Torres could always be sure that she was not fooling her. No, B'Elanna always told her mind directly in her face and she did not hold back her feelings, she always showed them right away. B'Elanna was a guarantee that she always knew what she was thinking and feeling. It made things a lot easier, even though the things B'Elanna often said to her were hurtful and unfair.

Secretly, Seven had always wanted to get closer to B'Elanna, to make friends with her, but she had also known that this would never be possible because B'Elanna would always refuse her because she was an ex-drohne doing many bad things had to go into debt.

B'Elanna has always been a very interesting and fascinating person to Seven. Seven even had to admit, if she wanted to be completely honest with herself, that she had provoked so many quarrels between the two of them, also to elicit emotions from B'Elanna and to observe them at the same time. Later, when she was alone in her cargo bay 2, she'd analyzed and evaluated everything and devised new strategies to better handle the next unprovoked fight.

And now that B'Elanna had apologized to her, Seven knew from the bottom of her heart that she was serious and really sorry for her.

***************************

"Seven?" Kathryn asked worriedly after Seven was still staring. Neelix, who was sitting next to Seven, nudged her a little and Seven blinked confused and looked around the table. All the other senior officers looked at her with interest and curiosity, making Seven blush slightly.

"Yes?" She asked sheepishly.

"Are you all right, Seven? I asked for your report to your department." Kathryn said kindly.

"Yes, Captain, I'm fine." Seven said and then gave a detailed report on astrometry.

After all the officers had reported the captain on their departments, Kathryn dissolved the meeting, but asked Seven to stay a moment.

Seven sat quietly in her chair while Kathryn looked at her closely. It had never happened before that Seven was unfocused at a meeting of senior officers. Quietly, Kathryn sighed, blaming this lack of concentration for the fact that Root probably had something to do with it.

"Seven, I wanted to ask you to remove the bulkheads in Cargo Bay 2 as soon as possible, and then I realized that you did not go on shore leave this time either. I talked to Commander Chakotay, and he and I agree that you will be on vacation this time."

Before Seven could protest, Kathryn raised her hand and stopped her. "Resistance is futile!" She said, winking at Seven as she moved closer to Seven and her chair. Before she arrived, Kathryn leaned against the conference table and made herself comfortable.

Seven looked at the captain in confusion. "What, can not the captain make a joke?" Kathryn asked immediately afterwards.

Seven thought for a moment, but then she nodded her head and smiled at Kathryn. Kathryn, who had rarely seen this smile before, was very happy and tried to memorize it.

"Good, from tomorrow I would like to see you then for at least 3 - 4 days not on the ship. Only if there is something important, such as your regeneration. Do we understand each other?" Kathryn asked again, to make sure that Seven really spent her holiday on Antrie and not in Cargo Bay 2.

"Yes, Captain." Seven said kindly and got up from her chair. Kathryn put her hand on her shoulder and gently stroked it.

"Good Seven, then I wish you a nice holiday on the countryside and please take care of yourself. If you have any difficulties, please contact me. Okay?" Kathryn asked.

Seven nodded her head again, then turned and walked out of the conference room. Kathryn sighed deeply again and wiped her arms over her eyes, where tears had begun to form. In her mind, she wished Seven to become happy with Root, and she really hoped the root would not be nonsense. Because if she ever dared hurt Seven, she would personally worry that Root would regret it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Voyager**

Seven, after talking to the captain, immediately went to Cargo Bay 2 to clear the bulkheads. On her way, she wondered how she could spend her unwanted shore vacation on Antrie. She really had no idea what to do. It would probably the best to take work and do it during your shore leave. Seven quickly put together in her head a few lists of what work she could take.

Totally lost in thought, she entered Cargo Bay 2 and was all the more surprised when she saw that the bulkheads had already been dismantled and B'Elanna was sitting on the step to her alcove and Seven grinned broadly.

Quickly B'Elanna got up and went to meet Seven, took her in her arms and pulled her close to her body.

"Hello" she said softly, looking deep into Seven's blue eyes, which had always seemed so icy to B'Elanna, but now looked soft and gentle. After a quiet moment B'Elanna put her lips on Seven's lips and kissed her. Seven immediately returned the kiss and ran her tongue over B'Elanna's lower lip and pulled her into her mouth to nibble on it. B'Elanna growled quietly into the kiss, which quickly became more heated and demanding.

"Oh, wow, where did you learn how to kiss so well?" B'Elanna asked with a smirk as they parted ways after an eternity to gasp.

Seven looked at B'Elanna with sparkling eyes. "I'm Borg." She just replied and B'Elanna looked at her questioningly. "And that means? Is there any Kiss lessons with the Borg?" She asked more closely.

"No, but we have the knowledge of all assimilated species." Explained Seven.

"Hm ... I thought you Borg kept only the relevant knowledge of the assimilated species. I find the knowledge about kissing rather irrelevant." B'Elanna pointed out.

Seven grinned cheekily at B'Elanna. "That is correct."

Now confused, B'Elanna looked at Seven questioningly. "And where can you kiss so well?"

"I'm Borg, Borg can do it all perfectly." Seven said, then grinned at B'Elanna in amusement.

"Oh, you brat!" Said B'Elanna, nudging and tickling Seven at her side, whereupon Seven laughed happily. B'Elanna looked at Seven in astonishment, as she had never expected Seven to laugh so warmly. Completely overwhelmed by this event, B'Elanna pulled the younger woman back to her and kissed her once more passionately.

Seven broke away after a while and looked at B'Elanna in surprise.

"Where are the bulkheads? The captain asked me to remove them before I have to start my shore leave tomorrow."

"I removed the bulkheads with the maintenance team that was just here. After hearing about the bulkheads at the fair earlier, I thought they had to be removed. I'm just not sure why they were here. Please explain it to me." asked B'Elanna curious.

"Root wanted to do an slumber party last night while I regenerate and found that a little privacy would be better. She wanted to project a wall with her holoprojector, but I had the idea to use bulkheads that were stored here. I realize that was a mistake." Seven sighed deeply.

"I've heard of the holoprojector, the captain gave me the data on how to build such a thing. It is highly efficient. But I think I need Roots help. What did you mean by the fact that you have to start your shore vacation tomorrow? Are not you looking forward to it?" B'Elanna asked in astonishment.

Seven looked sad and concerned. "I had not planned any shore leave, I do not know what to do with it. I think the shore leave is an inefficient use of my time. I'd rather stay on Voyager and work." Seven quietly.

"How about you spend your shore leave with me? We could get to know each other better and see what we enjoy together. We could also see where Root is and get to know them better. What do you think would that be a good idea?" B'Elanna asked.

Thinking about it, instead of looking pleased that she might have a plan for her shore leave, she frowned. "I do not want to disturb your shore leave. You've probably already made plans." Explained Seven then.

"True, I had planned to spend the vacation together with Tom. But since I separated myself from him and fell in love with you, I would very much like to spend my holiday with you and the time I have wasted trying to make your life difficult to make up for it. I honestly still can not quite understand how quickly you have forgiven me." B'Elanna said, looking sheepishly at Seven, as she still felt like the last ass because she had so insulted and upset Seven.

"I forgive you because I know that you are serious and you are really sorry for the way you behaved towards me. I have always known that you are a very honest and direct person. I have always appreciated and admired you. What I did as a Borg drone was so much worse than the things you said to me and how can I expect to be forgiven, for all the things I've caused as a Borg drone, if not for others forgive?" Seven asked guiltily.

"Okay, thanks for letting me know, now I understand it. But no matter what you did earlier than Borgdrohne, it has not given me the right to be mean to you for the past two years since you've been here on Voyager. Root helped me realize what a big ass I was and I'm so ashamed of it. I'm not sure how I can ever make amends. Please allow me to do the shore leave together with you. I'm sure we'll have a good time together. OK?"

"Okay" said Seven, smiling softly at B'Elanna. B'Elanna was very happy about it and squeezed Seven. "Let's go to my quarters and have dinner. Come on." She said, grabbing Seven's hand in hers and gently pulling her out of Cargo Bay 2.

Once the two left Cargo Bay 2, Seven pulled her hand out of B'Elanna's hand, not wanting other crewmembers to know about their relationship with B'Elanna. Seven liked the idea that it was a mystery to the rest of the Voyager crew for the time being.


	4. Chapter 4

**Voyager**

In B'Elanna's quarters, B'Elanna retired to her bedroom to get dressed more comfortably. Meanwhile, Seven had begun to replicate a light meal for both of them.

When B'Elanna arrived in the living area a short time later, she was pleasantly surprised that Seven had already set the dinner on the table and had replicated a vase of flowers. With a big smile on her face, she approached Seven, who was already sitting at the table, waiting for B'Elanna.  
To B'Elanna's second surprise she received a charming smile from Seven. Quickly B'Elanna went to Seven at the table and sat down next to her.

Slightly she took Sevens hand in her hand and led her to her mouth and breathed a gentle kiss on it. Then she got an even more beautiful smile from Seven to Reward, whose face was slightly flushed.

At that moment B'Elanna's body spread a pleasant warmth. She had seen Seven as cool and arrogant in the last two years. Seven was always stiff, rational and logical, it was almost annoying how she wanted to make everything as efficient as possible and unsettled all the people around her, with her borrowing efficiency and borrowing behavior.

But now, just at that moment B'Elanna got to see a side of Seven pushing her Borg side to one side and just sitting in front of a young woman with a charming smile. In the moment there was nothing left to Seven, which was cool and arrogant.

"Thank you, that was very nice of you to prepare the food. Shall we start?" B'Elanna asked, already hungry. As a half-Klingon / half-human, she was much hungrier than other people. She needed her three meals a day and those meals had to be balanced and rich. If she was too busy in her engine room, which was very common, she often had to miss a meal. However, this was not very conducive and all of their crew members knew this. As soon as B'Elanna was hungry and had no time to eat, her mood dropped bit by bit and she became increasingly annoyed, angry and explosive. Anyone who worked with her in the engine room was afraid of that time, and so the unwritten rule that was best avoided or had to provide her with something to eat at that time was that it would make working with her more comfortable or bearable. To her delight, Seven had replicated one of her favorite foods. So B'Elanna started eating right away and heartily devoured her food.

Seven watched B'Elanna fascinated while eating, completely forgetting her own food, which of course was much smaller and easier to eat. Mentally, she made some notes on B'Elanna's eating habits and decided to make the half-Klingon more happy with food. Seven enjoyed watching her eat.

After a while, after most of her hunger had been satisfied, B'Elanna looked up from her food and looked into sky-blue eyes, which interested her and made her curious.

"What?" She asked with half a full mouth and Seven just had to grin at these views.

"Nothing" she said in amusement and B'Elanna looked at her questioningly.

Seven sighed deeply before answering. "It's interesting how you enjoy your food," she then said and B'Elanna's face blushed. She was aware that she often just devoured her food and did not enjoy it much, eating it enjoyably and slowly. But she was hungry !!!  
Tom and Harry had raised her often because of that, but it had not embarrassed her. However, before Seven, so to devour her food, she was very embarrassed.

"Sorry, I did not mean to ..." before she could speak further, Seven put her hand on B'Elanna's hand and squeezed it lightly.

"You do not have to apologize, I find your way of eating very efficient and also very interesting. I'm sorry that I disturbed you. Please continue to eat your food." asked Seven soft and B'Elanna had to swallow the lump she was feeling down her throat.

"You do not find it disgusting how I swallow my food?" She asked in surprise.

Seven shook her head. "No, I do not think it's disgusting. I know that you are only half Klingon, but your hunger seems to be the same as a complete Klingon. It is interesting. Please take this activity again."

"Okay, but what about you? You have not touched your food yet." B'Elanna asked worriedly.

"I'm not very hungry and I do not really need any food. My alcove provides me with enough energy." Explained Seven.

"Why did you replicate something to eat then?" B'Elanna asked curiously.

"To make the food more enjoyable for you. During my research on human rituals, I have often observed that in many cultures eating together is a pleasant experience." Explained Seven as a matter of course.

"Oh, okay. May I ask you for something?" B'Elanna asked and Seven nodded her head.

"Please explain once again your attitude to monogamous and polygamous relationships. I did not think that the Borg have sex and relationship. I'm curious." Explained B'Elanna and put another spoonful of food in her mouth and looked interested at Seven.

"That is correct. Borg have no sex with each other and no relationships. We are one big whole, merging into one mind and one power. Sex and relationships are not necessary. My attitude to relationships and sex comes from my education, which I received from the Borg. I was assimilated as a child, so to be precise, I have no real attitude to it. However, I have stored the knowledge of about 10000 cultures about sex and relationships in my cortical node. And if you put all of this together and get the most out of this knowledge, then I come to the conclusion that a polygamous relationship is preferable to a monogamous relationship. It has several advantages and minimal disadvantages. If I had been assimilated at an adult age, I might have a different attitude. So, however, I think that a polygamous relationship is the better choice for me. The collective was my family, my parents were always with me. Now I am alone and have no family anymore. I miss the voices of the other Borg drones, as well as the voices of my parents. The Borg were everything I knew. And now I am here, but I know what I lost. There are many things that make me feel very bad and guilty about what I did as a Borg. But there are also many things I miss and I would like to have these things back in my life. And that's a new collective, a community, a family. And I think my new collective should include all those whom I admire, respect, and who evoke emotional feelings in me. And I can not only find that in one person, there are three people on Voyager. It would be difficult to decide who I want to be in a relationship with." Seven said in a strong voice.

B'Elanna had completely forgotten to continue eating while listening to Seven. Now she remembered her food again and pushed another spoonful of food into her mouth. Her thoughts were buzzing. "Wow. What an answer." It went through her mind.

"Do you miss your parents?" B'Elanna asked after a moment.

Seven thought about B'Elanna's question for a few seconds and then looked at her seriously. "Yes and no. My relationship with them was not the same as the relationship between Naomie Wildman and her mother while I was with the Borg. Once my parents were assimilated they stopped being on my parents and as soon as I was assimilated I stopped being on their child. My parents were in the collective, I could hear their thoughts and voices. As I assimilated, their knowledge became my cortical node. I know everything they know. Now that I have regained my humanity, I begin to think about my parents. Especially when I see Naomi and her mother and watch them interacting with each other. In part, I feel a great deal of anger at them because my parents, they could not protect me and we were assimilated. But on the other hand, I wonder how our lives would have been if we had not fallen victim to the Borg. It evokes mixed feelings in me, and I have to admit, I often do not like those feelings very much. Sometimes I need the advice of the captain." said Seven quietly and looked away from B'Elanna embarrassed.

B'Elanna hurts what she just heard from Seven in the heart. Carefully, she put her hand on Seven's hand and squeezed it gently. Seven turned her gaze back to B'Elanna and smiled at her a little.

"I'm so sorry for you. I promise you that from now on I will always be there for you. No matter what it is, you can come to me with it and we will do it together. Okay?" B'Elanna asked and Seven nodded in surprise with her head.

"Thanks." She said softly.

**Antrie**

After Root had searched and bought all the components from the various electrical shops together, she had contacted the Voyager and beamed back.

When all of the components were safely stowed in her dorm room, she asked in the transporter room to be beamed back to the planet. Her wish was fortunate and instead of being beamed back to the same city as before, she found herself in a small town that was much quieter than the Las Vegas of Antrie.

Root looked around the small town and after a short time she decided that this was not for her. As a child, she had grown up in a small town in Texas, and she knew from her own experience that such small towns were far more dangerous than one might have guessed at first sight.  
Root had no desire to find out what corpses were buried in the cellar in the basement, so she got one of her many holoprojectors (she had about 4 of them in her backpack, plus some duplication adapters and countless holoprojector disks) out of her backpack and searched for a data disc out to project a motorcycle.

After her motorcycle was ready to drive in front of her and she had put on her projected motorcycle helmet, she took a course out of the small town. As creator of the holoprojector, she had unlimited energy to ride her motorcycle.

First she drove out of the small town. A few days ago, when she was at Seven in astrometry and had learned about Antrie, she decided to spend her time on the east coast of the western continent by the sea.

Since she was in the middle of the western continent, she drove east. The sun was shining in her back, so she could drive well over the existing roads without being blinded. The landscape through which she came, was usually equipped with many meadows and small groves. Everything was so green and looked so lush green. Quite different than the area where she grew up as a child.

Deep in thought, Root rode through this beautiful landscape for several hours, feeling infinitely free. She had not felt so free for a long time. She wished that feeling would never stop. But she knew that was just a wishful dream that would never come true. She did not have many options left.

She could not return to the Alpha Quadrant. Once she did, she would be forced to have her heart operated on. She also did not want to stay on Voyager returning home to the Alpha Quadrant. She did not like being locked up on a spaceship and having to bow to different rules and regulations. She could not stay here on Antrie either. She would probably be the only human. Bad enough that she already felt very lonely in the Alpha Quadrant and there were billions of people, so she would feel even less well here. God, she was not a recluse; she, too, needed human closeness and company. Remained the Borg.

Root sighed heavily, the Borg were intriguing, but were they really the solution to their problem? Root was not sure and it gnawed at her this feeling of insecurity.

As the sun slowly set in her back, Root decided to drive off the road and prepare for the night. After finding a good place for her night camp, she projected a tent-like shelter with the holoprojector and set her up with a bed that had several warm blankets and two comfortable pillows. For this she projected another security fence, which she set up around her accommodation, as protection.

After securing everything, she retired to her accommodation, took one of her pills, and then went to bed exhausted. As soon as she had slipped under her warm blankets and closed her eyes, she was already asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Voyager**

Seven and B'Elanna had retired to the couch after eating and had talked about their joint shore leave. At first, it was difficult for Seven to understand the concept of rest and relaxation, but B'Elanna promised to explain and show Seven more during the vacation.

A few days ago, Seven and the captain had set the areas where the crew could best and safest spend their shore leave. And these areas were mostly on the western continent. Thus, both women decided that they spend their holiday together there on the east coast, which on the one hand had a beautiful landscape and on the other bordered by the eastern sea. So they had the opportunity to explore the countryside, hiking or walking and on the other hand, they could swim in the sea or relax on the beach. So all in all a lot of alternation for the few days they spent on the planet.

After both women had been sitting on the couch for some time and B'Elanna had yawned several times during their conversation about their rural vacation in the last half hour, Seven decided to call an evening. So she got up from the couch and B'Elanna looked at her in surprise.

"Seven, why did you get up?" She asked in astonishment.

"I've noticed that you're tired, so I decided to leave so you can start your night's sleep." Explained Seven, now again in a rather stiff manner.

B'Elanna blinked at her in confusion. "I thought you would spend the night with me. I mean ... of course only if you want." B'Elanna said to Seven and wished nothing more than Seven would say yes. They had talked all evening and only touched their hands here and there. But it took a lot of B'Elanna's strength not to attack Seven. The more she got to know the young woman, the more she fell in love with her. And her body longed for Seven and her body in an incredibly strong way. Everything in her screamed for Seven to be close, to touch, to kiss, and to explore. But she had restrained herself, she did not want to scare Seven or push for something that Seven was not ready for. They both decided together to take it step by step. That was logical too. Seven has never had a relationship, just a failed date. Seven was still inexperienced and new in this area. So B'Elanna did not want to rush. But her body still had other plans and told her unequivocally with a pull in her loin area.

Seven looked at B'Elanna and tried to find out if they would stay overnight with B'Elanna or return to Roots spaceship and sleep there. Her body longed for the closeness that promised to have a night together, but she wanted the B'Elanna to be well rested on her shore leave. And then they both decided to go step by step and not rush.

"I'm not sure if I should sleep here with you, besides, I have my sleeping clother at Root in the spaceship. I would have to get her." Seven said softly.

"Hey honey, it's okay. You do not have to sleep at me if you are not comfortable with it yet. May I accompany you at least to the spaceship, so I know that arrived well?" B'Elanna asked a little disappointed that Seven did not want to stay with her yet.

"Yes, you may accompany me." Said Seven factually, turned around and wanted to leave B'Elanna's quarters. But B'Elanna held her by the arm and turned her back to her. Then she pulled Seven into her arms and turns back to herself. Before Seven could protest, B'Elanna had stretched up to her and put her lips on Seven's lips. Seven captured B'Elanna's lips with her lips and nibbled them gently, and her tongue then moved into B'Elanna's mouth and was joyfully received and encircled by B'Elanna's tongue.

Both women kissed for a while, until Seven finally regained the necessary sanity and freed herself from B'Elanna's embrace.

"We wanted to end the evening and you wanted to bring me back to the spaceship." Reminded Seven B'Elanna of her plan. B'Elanna sighed deeply and looked poutingly at Seven.

"You're not fun" she said, nibbling her bottom lip in frustration. B'Elanna looked as sweet as a half-Klingon could only look pouting. And Seven's heart suddenly beat faster and faster and she regretted having just finished the kiss. So she leaned down to B'Elanna and kissed her tenderly and gently one last time before she finally broke away from B'Elanna and walked to the door.

"Are you coming?" She asked, turning questioningly to B'Elanna, who was still in sensual delight, hovering over the last kiss.

Seven returned to B'Elanna and took her hand. "Come on, let's get my sleeping clothes. I'll stay overnight with you today." Seven said smiling softly at B'Elanna and then pulling her toward the quarter door.

B'Elanna barely trusted her ears. "You want to sleep here? But…"

"Yes, I will submit and sleep with you. But I need my sleeping clother." Seven reminded her again.

B'Elanna put a big smile on her face and happily beamed at Seven. Outside the quarters, Seven released B'Elanna's hand and both women walked side by side to the turbolift. Both of them had a huge smile on their face and if they had met anyone on their way to Hangar Deck 1, they would have noticed that they were in love with each other.

***********************

In Hangar Deck 1, Seven opened Roots spaceship and invited B'Elanna to enter. B'Elanna looked around with interest as Seven gathered her sleeping clothes together. A short time later she came to B'Elanna with her sleeping shirt, her sleeping socks and her cuddle Ugle Doll, who was just looking around the kitchen.

"What's that?" B'Elanna asked, pointing to the projected heart with Roots Heart Monitor. "That looks pretty crazy."

Seven stepped closer and looked at what B'Elanna meant. "It looks like a heart, what that monitor is, I do not know. It's Roots, we should not touch it. She did not want to touch me her stuff. I do not want to disappoint them." Said Seven, but B'Elanna had already lifted the projected heart into her hand and pulled it to the monitor, which immediately broke away from her heart. She turned the heart and the monitor back and forth and looked at it curiously.

Suddenly the doctor materialized in front of the two women. "What happened?" He asked immediately excited and looked around confused in the small kitchen area.

"Nothing" both women said at the same time.

"Where is Root? Your heart monitor has suddenly stopped sending heart rates to my computer. She needs life-saving assistance." The doctor explained excitedly. But then he saw the heart monitor in B'Elanna's hand and next to it a throbbing heart.

"What does all this mean?" He asked excitedly.

B'Elanna and Seven looked at him in confusion. "Doctor, what's up? Why are you here and why do you think Root needs your help?" B'Elanna asked him with a frown.

"This is Roots heart monitor, why do you have it?" The doctor asked, ignoring B'Elanna's question.

B'Elanna looked at the heart monitor in amazement. "This is a heart monitor?" She asked, handing the monitor the doctor.

"Yes, this is a heart monitor and actually Root should carry it around, so I know at all times when her heart changes his heart rate and she needs my help. Why is he here and not at Root?"

"What does she need it for?" B'Elanna asked worriedly.

The doctor shrugged his shoulders. "I can not say that, that is subject to my medical confidentiality. I'm sorry." said the doctor.

B'Elanna looked at Seven, who was fidgeting from leg to leg for a moment. "Do you know it?" B'Elanna asked her and Seven nodded.

"Okay then clear me up." B'Elanna demanded immediately.

"I'm unsure if Root would be the right one." Seven said quietly and looked down at B'Elanna dejectedly. B'Elanna sighed deeply and ran her hands over her forehead craters.

"Doctor, Root needs this heart monitor urgently?" She asked, to be sure.

"In my opinion, yes, but since she left him here, I think she disagrees." The Doctor confessed.

"Well, Seven and I will get the heart monitor to Root and get it to put it back on. Anyway, we wanted to beam down to the planet tomorrow and make shore leave." B'Elanna said and the doctor looked at her in surprise. He had not realized that Seven and B'Elanna had ever spent time together. He knew, however, that the two women were often in quarrels. What was going on there? He asked himself partly worried and sometimes very curious.

"It could be too late tomorrow, would it be possible to beam down and visit Root today?" The doctor asked worriedly.

B'Elanna and Seven looked at each other for a moment and then as if they had communicated with each other in some way, both women nodded at the same time. Relieved, he sighed.

"Thanks, I'll sterilize and recalibrate the heart monitor in the infirmary." the doctor replied.

"Okay, in the meantime, we are looking for our things together. And Doctor?" B'Elanna asked before she left Roots spaceship.

"Yes?" Asked the doctor.

"That between Seven and me, that is also subject to their medical confidentiality. Did we get along?" B'Elanna asked sharply and the doctor looked at B'Elanna offended, but then he nodded his head.

"Well, then we'd better meet in the transport room in half an hour." B'Elanna said and the doctor left the spaceship.

"Please tell me why Root needs a heart monitor." asked B'Elanna Seven again, now that the doctor had left her alone.

"She has heart failure, her heart could stop beating at any time and she could die." Seven replied softly.

B'Elanna looked at Seven stunned. "What?" She asked angrily. "Why do not you tell me something like that?"

"I ..." Seven stuttered nervously, would B'Elanna start a fight between them again, ending their brief relationship? Seven thought it through her mind and she realized how terrified her thought was.

"Alright Honey, I know it now. Come let us find your things you need together and then get my things. It's better we finish quickly, the sooner we can be at Root and give her the heart monitor." Said B'Elanna, who had seen exactly how pale Seven suddenly became. She did not know why, but she did not want Seven to go sad.


	6. Chapter 6

Exactly half an hour later B'Elanna and Seven met the doctor in the transport room again. He handed Seven a small container of blue fluid in which the heart monitor swam.

"Thanks Doctor, we'll get back to you as soon as we've given Root the heart monitor and she's put it on." B'Elanna promised before stepping onto the transport platform with her travel bag, followed by Seven, who also had a bag hanging over her shoulder and held the small container with the heart monitor in her right hand.

A few seconds later, both women materialized on Antrie. As soon as they were complete, they looked around in the darkness. In the sky alien constellations shine and a moon shines on the plain. Quickly they let their eyes wander and recognized, just a few steps away, a tent-like accommodation.

The two women quickly approached them. "Good that you have Root palmed a tracker" praised B'Elanna Seven's brilliant idea. Seven smiled gratefully at B'Elanna and walked to the accommodation.

********************** 

Root woke up to the shrill alarm sounding in her accommodation. Confused and sleepy, exhausted from the day, she dragged to the door. There she looked at the monitor attached to the door and showed her what was going on outside their accommodation. When she saw Seven and B'Elanna, she immediately shut off the security fence and immediately opened her door and stepped out into the dark night.

"Hello" she said cheerfully and smiled at the two visitors. B'Elanna, who had run into the middle of the security fence, was still in cursing. But Seven walked quickly to Root and both women hugged warmly. "Did you miss me sweetie?" Root cheekily asked Seven and Seven nodded her head before answering "Yes, very much. We were worried about you, so we're here." She whispered to Root.

Root pulled away from Seven a bit and looked her in the eye. "Why were you worried about me?" She asked Seven. But before Seven could answer, B'Elanna was already standing next to the two women, who were still hugging each other, and glared at Root.

"Because we found this." she said, taking the small monitor with the heart monitor from Seven and holding it in front of Roots nose.

Root squinted at the container, trying to see what he was keeping. But the moonlight was not enough. Therefore, she broke completely from Seven and took the container from B'Elanna's hand.

"What's that?" She asked quietly.

"That's why we're here, it's your heart monitor." B'Elanna said sternly and Root frowned at her.

"Thank you." She murmured softly and walked to the accommodation with the container in her hand.

Seven glared at B'Elanna for a moment before she went after Root and entered the property. B'Elanna saw Seven behind in surprise. "What, be I now the evil?" She called after Seven and also entered the accommodation and closed the door.

Confused, she looked around the place and was speechless for a moment. She had not expected the large comfy-looking bed at the accommodation where Root had pulled herself back under her comforters and was looking at B'Elanna and Seven. Her cheeky smile was wiped off her face and B'Elanna saw the pale skin of Roots face and how tired she looked. Suddenly she felt embarrassed because of her severe tone.

"Hey, I'm sorry I got that loud. I'm just worried about you and the doctor has asked us to bring you the heart monitor to let him know when you need his help. Could you please put on the heart monitor?" B'Elanna asked softly.

Root looked at Seven silently and Seven smiled gently at Root.

Root then took the heart monitor out of the container and pulled up her sleep shirt. B'Elanna and Seven stared at Roots small chest which was uncovered by Root, while the heart monitor attached to the right place. B'Elanna's blood began to race wildly at the sight of Root's sweet little chest, her head racing red. Seven, who had also been staring at Roots bare chest, turned her head to B'Elanna after hearing her fast heartbeat.  
Meanwhile, Root had pulled her sleep shirt down again after the heart monitor had connected with her heart and looked at B'Elanna and Seven pouting.

"Are you satisfied now?" She asked a little pertly.

B'Elanna was just so busy restoring her blood and temper that she did not even notice Root's question. But Seven, who had stored the sight of Roots bare chest well in her cortical knot, to recollect the memory later, nodded her head.

Root lovingly looked at Seven and knocked on the spot next to him in bed.

"I'm really tired and would like to go back to sleep, do you or do you want to stay there all night?" Asked Root, looking at both women tired and expectant.

B'Elanna looked at Root in astonishment. "You mean we should share the bed?" She asked, putting her bags, which she had been hanging over her shoulder all the time and remembered only now, on the floor.

"Yeah, I mean, or do you have another idea where you want to sleep?" Asked Roar cheeky.

Seven gave her a big grin and then disappeared behind a door that she assumed was the bathroom, in tow her bag in which she had packed her sleeping bags. In the bathroom, she changed quickly and came back a short time later in her elephant sleeping shirt in the living room.

B'Elanna blinked at her speechlessly. Root had told her yesterday how cute Seven looked in her sleepshirt. But now, when Seven came out of the bath dressed in the sleep shirt and scurried off to bed and under the covers, B'Elanna had to admit that Seven looked more than cute in it. With her mouth open, she stared at both Root and Seven, who were already cuddled under the comforter, making themselves comfortable in bed.

Root looked at B'Elanna after a moment. "We still have enough space here, are you coming?" She asked her. B'Elanna blushed and nodded her head. Quickly she leaned down to her bag and picked out her sleeping gear. In the bathroom, she changed quickly and then slipped to Root and Seven in bed. There she lay down on the left side next to Root, as Seven was on the right side of Root, cuddled up to her, she had a cuddly toy in her arms and when B'Elanna saw it, she had to giggle.

Seven lifted her head from Roots shoulder and looked at her thoughtfully. "Why are you making that noise?" She asked, and B'Elanna's laugh intensified even more. It took a few minutes to calm down again. At this time, Root and Seven had looked at her curiously.

"Oh, it's just that I knew that Seven brought her cuddly toy if I had brought my Targ to Tobi. I left him on Voyager. Usually only Tom knows that I have a stuffed animal and even now and then he cuddles with him." Explained B'Elanna, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Root and Seven stared at B'Elanna with wide eyes. Neither woman, ever thought that B'Elanna had a cuddly toy.

"Yeah, do not look so surprised, I'm just a cuddly animal lover." Said B'Elanna and grinned at the two women in bed next to each other.

Root leaned over to B'Elanna and gave her a peck on the cheek. "You can snuggle up with me if you miss Tobi the Targ too much. Good night B'E." Root said and lay down again.

Shortly thereafter, she was completely exhausted and tired asleep. Seven and B'Elanna were still awhile.

Seven listened to the steady thump of Roots heart, after she was sure it sounded okay, she also gave herself to sleep. B'Elanna took a while to fall asleep. Her mind turned to Seven and Root and she wondered what the new day would bring tomorrow.


	7. Chapter 7

"Good morning sleepyhead." B'Elanna said to Root, who had just opened her eyes sleepily and looked around the place, completely disoriented. As she looked at B'Elanna, a big smile spread across her face. Root put her hand behind B'Elanna's neck and pulled her close and gave her a short, but very gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Good morning B'E." She said after the kiss. "Where is Seven?" She asked when she realized that the young woman was not present.

"She's beamed back to Voyager and gets us something to eat. After we did not find anything here and did not even think about taking anything with us at night, we decided to get a supply of food from Voyager. She should be back soon." Explained B'Elanna and looked at Root worriedly.

"What did you have to eat before today?" She asked Root.

Root rubbed her eyes and tried to shake off the tiredness. "Please give me my backpack, it's over there." she said pointing to the corner. 

B'Elanna quickly got the backpack and Root rummaged in it. First, she pulled out her tablet can and took a pill and swallowed it without taking any liquid. Then she rummaged in her backpack and pulled out a chocolate bar and showed him B'Elanna. "This is the breakfast." She said cheekily and laid him on the blanket next to her, then rummaged in her backpack. Next, she pulled out another candy bar. "And that looks like lunch."

B'Elanna looked at Root stunned. No wonder Root looked so pale and skinny if she did not eat anything right. "You are not serious, are you?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes it is. Incidentally, yesterday I was glad that you and Seven, you both came together here. So you apologized to her, how was it going?" Root asked, sitting down against the head of the bed and looking at B'Elanna curiously.

B'Elanna blushed immediately and looked at Root embarrassed. "I visited her yesterday in astrometry and wanted to apologize to her. I then perceived your scent on her, it was mixed with her scent and suddenly my heart started to throb wildly and my blood rushed through my veins and I was suddenly agitated. Seven had recognized the situation immediately and offered me her wrist. I smelled it and then bit. So I claimed them and we are now a couple." Explained B'Elanna and Root looked shocked.

"You did not do that, did you?" Asked Root.

B'Elanna nodded insecurely with her head. "Yes" she said defiantly.

"B'E, you can not claim Seven. She is not an object, she is a person, a free person. She has only recently regained her individuality, so you can not just come and make her yours again. That will not work." Explained Root.

"It was not like that.She has offered me voluntarily" B'Elanna said, getting up from the bed and walking through the little quarters.

"Seven knew what she was doing. I did not do anything she did not want." B'Elanna said hotly.

"Okay" Root said quietly and B'Elanna looked at her from the side.

"Seven told me she loves you and you love her. Therefore, she also had your scent because you said goodbye to each other. She explained to me long and hard that it was not a problem for her that she and I are now connected because she wants to have a polygamous relationship with you as well as with me. It's no problem for me if it's not a problem for you." B'Elanna continued.

Now it was root B'Elanna looked at stunned. Did she just hear right? Root sighed deeply and drew enough air into her lungs.

"I have not been there for one day and now you have claimed it, like an object that nobody else belongs to? The Seven agrees is quite a surprise for me. And that with the polygamous relationship, hm ..., let me think ... that's funny." Root grinned in memory of Dominique, who should have married her two days ago if she had not just left. That relationship had more than just sapped her.

"I can not even relate to a person, let alone two. Sorry, I'm out of the number. But I wish you the best. Seven, in my opinion, but no idea of relationships or *a great love*. She does not know what polygam or monogamic means emotional and relationship technique. She may have some knowledge, but she is a beginner in this area. She practically does not know anything yet. Take good care of her and youself." Root said seriously to B'Elanna.

B'Elanna looked at Root unhappily, she honestly had not expected such a reaction. She had assumed that Root would agree with a polygamous relationship and that she would appreciate that she was with Seven now. Sadly, she lowered her head and looked at her hands, which she had wrapped in each other.

"I still have a question for you, if I may?" Asked Root after a little while and B'Elanna raised her head and looked at Root again curious.

"What question?" She asked.

"You know that Seven's heart belongs to someone else and that she will love that person more and more than you or me?" Root asked softly.

"If you mean the captain, I know that. Seven told me the captain would not let her into her life. At least not more than before. Seven was very open and I'm aware that she loves the captain very much." B'Elanna said and looked at Root sadly.

"B'E!" Root looked at B'Elanna seriously. "Kathryn wants Seven more than anything else in this galaxy, only the Captain stands in her way. But the two just belong together. How often do you meet the one person who is the other half of yourself in such a big universe? The one that makes you so incredibly happy and makes you feel so deeply? Not very often and therefore, if two people really, really belong together, you should not get in the way, but help each other. Do you understand that? How can you live with the fact that Seven will always love the Captain more than you?" Asked Root.

"I'm not sure, but we'll find out together." B'Elanna said confidently.

Root smiled sadly at her and put her hand on B'Elanna's cheek and gently stroked it.

"Well, I'm glad you two will be there for each other, no matter in what way. So in a few days, when my spaceship is repaired, I can leave calmly." Root said, leaning over to B'Elanna and gently kissing her cheek.

When Root pulled back, she saw how irritated B'Elanna looked at her.

"What?" She asked softly.

"You still want to leave Voyager and travel alone to the Alpha Quadrant?" She asked stunned.

"Yes, that's my plan. That has not changed. I have everything I need for repair. There is no reason to stay on Voyager for even longer after the repair." Root said confidently.

"There is no reason?" B'Elanna asked excitedly. "What about Seven? You love her. And what about me?"

Root looked at B'Elanna for a long time before answering. "Yes, you are right, I love Seven, but not in this way to be able to relate to her. Seven also has you now. I do not understand how you and Seven should be a reason for me to stay longer on Voyager. Explain it to me." asked Root.

B'Elanna flushed and rose from bed furiously.

"Seven is in love with you, like me. How can you just keep track of this stupid plan? I do not get it. How are you going to get on alone out there in the Delta Quadrant? That's complete madness." B'Elanna screamed as she started pacing back and forth from the property and could not even look at Root in anger.

Root jumped out of bed and held B'Elanna in her crotch. She held her by her upper arms and looked B'Elanna deep in the eyes.

"B'E, Seven and you, you are now a couple. There is no room for me. I also do not want to stay on Voyager. Space travel is not for me. I have to travel back, I can not stay here. It does not matter if you understand that or not, I stick to my plan. That will not change." Root said firmly, then released B'Elanna as she sat back on the bed and sighed deeply.

"Did not you just listen to me? Seven and I are both in love with you and we both want to be with you. That's so much space for you between us. I will not let you implement this crazy plan. I can not do that." B'Elanna said and stormed out of the accommodation. She was so angry and had to let out her anger. And that was best done outside.

On the way out, she met Seven, who had just materialized and looked at her in confusion.

"Where are you going?" She asked anxiously B'Elanna.

"I need a moment, I'll be right back. Do not worry." She told Seven and blew a kiss on her cheek before continuing across the meadow.

Seven watched her frown for a moment before she went in with the food she'd brought from Voyager.

"What happened?" She asked when she saw Root still sitting on the bed.

Root quickly wiped her eyes with her hand, then gently smiled at Seven.

"Hello sweetie, nothing happened. B'E and I, we only had a little disagreement. Everything is okay, do not worry." Root said as he got up from the bed and approached Seven. She breathed a kiss on her cheek and hugged her tightly.

"It's nice that you're back. I'll go to the bathroom quickly and get ready. Would you like to prepare breakfast?" Root asked cheerfully. But Seven clearly saw that Root's eyes were flushed and she was crying.

"Why did you cry when nothing happened?" She asked curiously, holding Root gently in her arms and stroking her fingers over the wet tear trail on Roots cheek.

"You also get everything with or?"

"It's not hard to miss. Your eyes are red and your cheeks are still wet with tears. What happened?"

Root sighed heavily and broke away from Seven Hug, then she gathered her things and her backpack together. "B'E and I had a fight. We disagree. But that's normal, please do not worry. I'm going to the bathroom now. See you soon." Root said and then slipped into the bathroom.


	8. Chapter 8

While Seven was preparing breakfast, Root had projected a new heart with container in the bathroom with a holoprojector and attached her heart monitor to it. Then she had another copy of a heart monitor projected and the wrong heart monitor attached to her chest. Nobody would notice the difference. She stuffed the container with the projected heart and the right heart monitor back into her backpack and hid it as far as possible.

After getting ready for the day, she returned to the living area at accommodation.

B'Elanna was already sitting at the table, glaring at Root with a scowl. Her rage from above was still not over, but not to unsettle Seven, she quickly dropped her scowl and returned to a neutral look.

"How come you do not have to work on Voyager today?" Root asked after she sat down at the table and accepted a plate of scrambled eggs and toast from Seven.

"We have land vacation" said B'Elanna with a full mouth and scooped immediately after more scrambled eggs in her mouth.

Root looked at Seven in surprise. "I thought you consider shore leave an inefficient waste of time?"

"Yes, but the captain disagreed." Seven just said, shrugging her shoulders in resignation.

"Ah, I understand." Root said and looked at B'Elanna, who was also looking at Root, and gave her a significant look. B'Elanna immediately lowered her head again and continued eating.

Seven looked back and forth between the two women and sighed heavily. She did not like Root and B'Elanna just did not understand very well. She felt completely helpless in the face of this situation and did not know how to improve her mood. Therefore, she also lowered her head and poked listlessly in her breakfast scrambled eggs.

"How did you find me?" Asked Root, when she realized that this should not have been possible.

B'Elanna looked surprised to Seven and Seven continued to look sheepishly down at her plate.

"I hid a tracker in your jacket when we said goodbye to each other on Voyager yesterday." She said softly.

Root looked at her in surprise, she had expected everything, but not so that Seven would do that.

"You hid a tracker in my jacket?" She asked again and then started to laugh immediately. B'Elanna and Seven looked at her in confusion.

"Oh sweetie, I did not expect you to be so deceitful." Root replied after getting back in.

"That was pretty mean of you, but a very good idea." Root told Seven, and Seven was not sure how to take it. However, as Root cheerfully winked at her and then grinned, Seven's face also showed a pleased smile.

"Sweetie, what are you doing now in your land vacation?" Asked Root Seven.

Seven looked at B'Elanna and then at Root. "B'Elanna and I wanted to spend the shore vacation together and get to know each other better." Seven said.

"And what did you plan? I will pack my things after breakfast and continue traveling. I want to go to the sea." Root asked, putting her still full plate aside.

"You should eat something." Seven said softly and Root looked at her gently.

"I'm sorry sweetie, I can not. I'm not hungry. B'Elanna should eat it, they need a lot more food to sustain their body energy." Root said placing her plate in front of B'Elanna.

"No, I'm already full, you have to eat your scrambled eggs yourself." She said and pushed the plate back to Root.

Root sighed annoyed and rolled her eyes. "You do not give up until I'm finished, right?" She asked the two women and both nodded their heads.

Root surrendered to her fate and bravely swallowed a bite of her breakfast. Her stomach immediately rebelled and she became bad. Quickly she got up and ran outside, where she had to vomit and her breakfast landed undigested in the tall grass of Antrie's meadows.

B'Elanna and Seven ran after Root, holding Roots long hair out of her face while Seven gently stroked her back.

"Okay, you do not have to finish this, I got it." B'Elanna said to Root, when she had vomited everything her stomach could not tolerate. Slumped and exhausted, Root straightened up again and sank into Seven's strong arms.

"Thanks" she said softly and Seven led her back to the accommodation.

Inside, Seven Root gently lowered herself onto the bed and sat next to her.

B'Elanna came into the shelter behind them and looked at Root worriedly.

"You can not travel like that. We also wanted to go to the sea, as we would best stay together. How did you get here?" She asked, realizing that they were in nowhere and she could not explain how Root got here.

Root smiled cheekily at her. "I projected a motorcycle and that's where I came from."

"Aha, okay." B'Elanna said and you could tell she had no idea what a motorcycle was.

"It is a vehicle with two tires and a seat for two people. If you want to accompany me to the sea, that's the wrong vehicle for all of us together. We need something else for that. Maybe a car would be just fine." Root said pulling her backpack on the bed and rummaging around in it.   
After a few moments she had picked out some chips and looked at them one after the other.

"Ah, this is just the right." She said and showed the two women the data chip.

*************************

"Hey kids, how about sit outside while I put everything here?" Root asked after resting on the bed for a moment, but now tired of having Seven and B'Elanna so worried about him.

"I'd like to help you with that." Seven said, but Root shook her head.

"No sweetie, please do me the favor and wait outside with B'Elanna. I can do it on my own, please do not worry." Then she smiled gently at Seven and Seven walked out nicely. B'Elanna stood uncertainly in the quarters, looking worriedly at Root.

"Please B'E, accompany Seven. I can do it alone. OK?"

*************************

"What happened when I was gone? What were you arguing about?" Seven asked cautiously after the two women were seated in the tall grass a short distance from the accommodation.

B'Elanna took Seven's hand in her hand and led her to her mouth and breathed a kiss on it before she answered Seven.

"We did not argue, we just had different opinions. First, it was about you and me, now connected. Root wishes us all the best. But she does not want to get involved in this relationship. She thinks that a polygamous relationship is not for her. And secondly, she said she leaves once her spaceship is repaired. She says that there is no room and no reason for her to stay longer on Voyager. I contradicted her and told her that we were both in love with her and wanted to be with her. But she did not want to hear that. Her mad plan to travel alone to the Alpha Quadrant infuriated me so much that I had to go out and take a moment for myself." Explained B'Elanna.

Seven looked at B'Elanna in dismay. "Root does not want to be in a relationship with us?" She asked again.

B'Elanna shook her head. "No, she thinks she can not even have a relationship with a person, so it would be nothing for two people." She said sadly.

Seven, who had seen a glint in B'Elanna's eyes, took the half-klingon woman in her arms and held her close.

"Since when do Klingons give up a fight if they have not even gone to war yet?" Seven asked curiously.

B'Elanna broke away from Seven Arms and looked intensely at the young woman.

"What do you mean?" She asked in surprise.

"I mean you're in love with her, why do not you fight for her love and convince her to stay with us?" Seven asked.

"We are now in a relationship with each other and Root does not want to get involved in this relationship. So there's no way to change that." B'Elanna said softly.

"But there is." Seven said confidently.

B'Elanna looked at her irritated. "Yes?"

"Yeah, you just have to part with me again and loose our bond, then a relationship with Root is possible." Seven still said confidently and in a tone that suggested that this was the most logical way to solve the problem.

B'Elanna blinked at her, very confused. "But …"

Seven put a finger on B'Elanna's lips. "No * but *, I'm serious. You were in love with Root. She first brought us together. So for me it's only logical that you end our relationship, which is only just starting, anyway, to come together with Root." Seven replied logically.

"What about you? I'm in love with you, too." B'Elanna said.

Seven looked embarrassed to look at something in the distance. "I'm just an ex-drone drone, I do not need love to exist." Seven said, then got up and walked away from B'Elanna.

B'Elanna stared after Seven stunned. With that single sentence, Seven had managed to break her heart. She got up quickly and ran after Seven.  
When she caught up with her, she put her arms around the young woman and pulled her close to her body. Her heart was pounding and she was almost afraid that Seven would push her away. But to her relief, Seven leaned into the embrace and rested her head on B'Elanna's shoulders.

"Honey, you are a very bad liar. I have promised you that from now on I will be there for you forever. I'm not ready to spoil my honor and break my promise to you. I am in love with you and I will not part with you. Okay?" B'Elanna asked, gently stroking Seven over her back. Seven nodded her head and deep inside, she was very glad that B'Elanna did not want to leave her.

*************************

Root had turned off all the holoprojectors within a very short time and collected them all again. She had only needed a few minutes to dismantle her accommodation, including the security fence. When she was done, she spotted B'Elanna and Seven sitting in the tall grass talking. Root watched her curiously and when Seven got up suddenly and walked away from B'Elanna, she frowned. She wondered what that meant.

She had listened very well when B'Elanna had told her that both Seven and herself were in love with Root and that they both wanted a relationship with her. But she did not want it, she had a plan and she had to implement it. She could not stay on Voyager and let herself into a relationship chaos. That was not possible. Yes, okay she already loved Seven so much, even though she had only known the young woman for a week. But how did she love the young woman?

And B'E? What was it with her that attracted Root? And that she was attracted to B'E, that was for sure. Surely she would find out in the next few days.


	9. Chapter 9

Root put the travel bags of Seven and B'E next to her backpack and then walked slowly to the two women, who were still standing in the meadow hugging each other.

"Hey kids, we can go when you're ready." she said casually as she strolled over to them.

Seven and B'Elanna broke away and both looked at Root in surprise.

"Yeah, yeah, we're done or Honey?" B'Elanna asked Seven and Seven nodded her head.

"Great, then we should get our backbags and go back to the road. Then we can turn on the holoprojector." Explained Root as the three women wandered back to their backbags.

B'Elanna took her hand in Sevens hand and held it tight.

Root, who had noticed, thought the two of them looked very sweet and she hoped the two of them would be happy together.

"How long do we need to get to the East Coast?" B'Elanna asked Root.

"Hm ... depends on how we want to do it and what's important to us." She only said as she shouldered her backpack on her back.

"What do you mean?" Seven asked curiously.

"Well, you can get there or that way where you want to go. You just have to decide in advance what is most important to you personally. For me, for example, it is not very important to get to the sea as fast as possible, but what is in between is important to me. I like riding my motorbike and like to stop here and there and look at interesting things. So the question for you, do you want to arrive quickly or do you prefer to have a great trip?" Asked Root in the round.

Seven and B'Elanna looked at each other for a moment and both said "Great trip" at the same time and Root grinned happily at them both.

"Cool. How about next sighting and shopping for a bigger city? I desperately need something else to wear and we could go to a casino and test our luck a bit." Root chattered cheerfully as the three women headed for the street.

"Sounds like a good plan." B'Elanna said "Honey, what do you think?"

Seven shyly nodded her head. She did not quite know how to find the plan. She did not know what Root meant to do shopping, nor what she meant to try with gaming luck in the casino.

"Hey Sweetie, do not worry, you'll enjoy it." Root said after realizing that Seven was very quiet. Seven gratefully smiled at her and nodded her head again.

Once the women reached the street, Root took out one of their holoprojectors and put a data disc in it. After turning on the holoprojector, a red Jeep Wrangler suddenly stood in front of the women.

B'Elanna whistled approvingly and walked around the Jeep Wrangler, looking closer.

"Nice device. How we're moving that?" She asked curiously Root.

Root grinned at her and opened the door to the backseat.

"Sweetie, please sit here." After Seven got into the back seat, Root showed her how to strapple on. Then she got in the front and showed B'Elanna already sitting in the passenger seat, how she should buckle up.

"Okay, look, first you start the jeep by turning the key here while doing this, you have to put your left foot on the clutch while your right foot is on the accelerator. Do you see?" Asked Root and B'Elanna looked down at Roots feet. "Yes, I got it." She said.

"Well, once your feet are in the right position, turn the key over and engage in first gear. Do you see?" And B'Elanna nodded again after Root had started the Jeep and started the first gear.

"Okay, now you press the accelerator pedal with your right foot and let go of the clutch, where the left foot is on it." Root did exactly what she just explained and the jeep drove off slowly.

"As soon as you drive off you switch from first gear to second gear and then, with appropriate speed, to third, fourth and fifth gear. Always after each other. And with the handlebars you steer and here you can see how high your speed is." Declared Root, then she stopped the Jeep after a few meters and grinned to B'Elanna.

"Now you!" She said and B'Elanna looked at her uncertainly. "Do you really think I should drive that thing?" She asked.

"Yes absolutely. Come on, that's not so hard. You will learn it quickly. Trust me." Root said, getting out of the jeep and circling it.

B'Elanna slipped unsteadily and a little anxiously from the passenger seat over to the driver's seat. As soon as Root sat back in the passenger seat in the jeep, she strapped herself on and grinned at B'Elanna.

"Please strap yourself. Safety is important." She said, winking at her.

B'Elanna sighed and fastened her belt, then waited for Root to give her instructions. But Root had just discovered the passenger mirror and looked briefly in the mirror and straightened her hair.

"Hey, you are beautiful enough. What should I do now?" B'Elanna asked a little frustrated. She was not used to the fact that there was a vehicle she could not handle.

"You know how to do it, just start and get started." Root said confidently.

B'Elanna then gave her a tormented look, but then started the engine, put in the first gear and let the clutch come while it accelerated.

The jeep lunged forward, but then stopped in a strangled position. Frustrated, B'Elanna struck the handlebar and growled contemptuously. Root grinned at her and put her hand on B'Elanna's shoulder.

"Let go of the clutch slowly while you accelerate, then the jeep should get going well." She said, reaping a contemptuous look from B'Elanna.  
Seven chuckled in the back seat and then also got an insulted look from B'Elanna.

"What? This is not as easy as flying a shuttle. Do you want to try it?" B'Elanna asked annoyed Seven. Seven immediately stopped giggling and guiltily shook her head.

"Hey B'E" Root told B'Elanna. Then she leaned over to her ear and whispered "No reason to be kidding. Okay?" Then she leaned back in her seat and looked at B'Elanna seriously.

"Sorry honey, I ..."

"No, that's okay. It was not nice of me to giggle. Excuse me." Seven said quickly before B'Elanna could continue speaking.

B'Elanna nodded her head and turned back to the front and started to start the Jeep again.

About half an hour later she got the hang of it and the jeep purred peacefully under her control of the highway. Root had climbed back to Seven and had begun to free her hair from the strict buns. Using a brush from her backpack, she brushed it smoothly as she told Seven about the various casino games she knew. Of course, there could be other games in Antrie's casinos, but Root thought they were not much different from the ones she knew. It was always about winning or not losing too much. Meanwhile, Seven listened intently, searching for similar games now and then in her memory bank in her cortical knots. The concept of squandering his money in a raffle hoping to win more money was not easy for them to understand.

"I would like to learn or attend one of these games. Is that possible?" She asked and Root grinned pleased.

"Oh sweetie, we'll have so much fun. But before we go to the casino, we go shopping and get us great clothes for the evening and make us really chic. We will turn all male Antrans head and maybe we get free drinks. Anyway, it's like that on Earth when men turn their heads" Root babbled to himself and Seven looked at her with interest and listened carefully.

"Do we have to dress up? Is not what we wear appropriate?" She asked uncertainly, looking down at her organic suit.

Root also looked at Seven Bio-suit and grimaced. She was unenthusiastic about the organic suit and she could not understand that the captain had never got the idea to encourage Seven to wear something different. Something that emphasized less Sevens breasts, but her personality more reflected.

"Sweetie, please do blame me, but your organic suit is pretty ..., well ... how can I say ... I think it's very sexist. Who came up with the idea to put that on you?"

"The doctor created it, he says the bio-suit would regulate my bodily functions. But to be honest, I like my sleep shirt a lot more. May I alone decide what to wear?" She asked shyly and Root looked at her wide-eyed.

"Surely you can decide on your own what you like to wear. I hope you find the right one where you feel comfortable. Do you already have an idea?"

Before Seven Root could answer, B'Elanna intervened in the conversation. "We are approaching a bigger city. What do we do now?"

"Please drive to the outskirts. There we have to turn off the holoprojector and see how we get to the center. I do not want to introduce my technology or the Jeep to the Antrans." Root replied and climbed back into the front seat.

B'Elanna nodded to Root and drove a little slower towards the city.

*******************

After the three women had reached the city and turned off the holoprojector, they were able to drive into the city center with a kind of suspension railway.

Seven looked curiously at the ride and marveled at the hustle and bustle of the city. As a Borg she was on countless planets, but at that time she had no time to look around as she was busy assimilating the population. At that time it was also irrelevant, but today as an individual she had the opportunity to look at everything exactly.

The Antrans were very similar to humans. They had the same body structure, the difference was only the face shape. Their oblong faces had six large purple shimmering eyes - three eyes on each side, their noses were small proboscis and their mouths were smaller than humans, but when they spoke, one could clearly see their sharp pointed little teeth. For a while, they looked like huge flies on their faces and it surprised Root that they did not have wings with which they floated in the air. A bit, the Antrans reminded her of Watto (the scrap merchant from the planet Tatooine in the Star Wars movie - The Dark Threat).

Root wondered what they needed those sharp teeth for. Somehow the Antrans today seemed a lot more sinister than yesterday. Yesterday, she had not paid much attention to the Antrans, only looking for the components she needed to repair her spaceflat. But today, when she had enough time, she noticed the Antran Seven, B'Elanna, and they turned on and on from the side, looking at them as if they were delicious snacks. Especially they gave Seven them that scary look and Root wanted to hide Seven between her and B'Elanna, those annoying glances. But she did not want to worry Seven, since Seven seemed to notice nothing and curious from the window of the monorail, the city marveled.

"Okay, I want to leave and get out of here." Root said after a while, after the Antran's stare was getting on her nerves.

B'Elanna, who had noticed the stare of the Antrans, gratefully sighed and took Seven's hand in her hand and pulled her to the exit where Root was already waiting for her. As soon as they reached the station, Root and B'Elanna, with Seven in tow, quickly climbed out of the monorail and entered the hustle and bustle of the city.

"Let's stay together and if we ever lose sight of each other ..." Root rummaged in her backpack and pulled out two small devices that looked similar to a communicator and handed them to B'Elanna and Seven. "Then please click on it. Then I can find you again and again with the direction finder." Declared Root and hoped that the two would put their trackers, which were also provided with a body shield and the two would save from danger.

Seven and B'Elanna took their trackers. B'Elanna, who had already put on her casual clothes in the morning, put her tracker in one of her trouser pockets. Seven, who was still wearing her organic suit, looked at him uncertainly. But Root took it from her hand and fastened it to her chest, next to Voyager's communicator. That looked a bit strange, but Seven would save the lives in danger.

After walking the city for an hour, watching the hustle and bustle and business in the city, Root took Seven and B'Elanna to a shop to buy clothes.

The Antrans wore very inconspicuous clothing, which could be described as almost boring. Both women and men wore the same loose clothing in sand and brown tones.

Although Root had little hope of finding something nice to wear, she was concerned for a long time.Even in the city, in the greatest bustle, she could still perceive the Antrans' weird looks at herself, B'Elanna, and especially at Seven.

She needed a break from the staring, so she pulled the two women into the small shop.

"Sweetie, look if you find something nice or beautiful to wear. I will wait here. B'E how is it with you, do you want to buy something to wear?" Asked Root merrily in the round.

Seven nodded to Root and immediately went to the back of the shop and looked at the various pieces of clothing. Root could still watch her from where she had sat down, while she also had a half-view of the shop entrance.

B'Elanna had sat down beside her on the bench and now leaned over to her.

"Scary, do not you think that looks?" She asked softly.

"Yeah, what do you mean, why I wanted to leave the street? When I was traveling yesterday, I did not notice it, but today it causes me abdominal pain. Especially how they look at Kid. It scares me. Your communicator is functional and you can always request a beam to Voyager right?" Root asked quietly and B'Elanna quickly nodded her head. Roote's anxious question made her suddenly more scared than just those weird glances.

"Good" said Root. "Once Kid has found something better than her organic suit, we should get out of the city as soon as possible and continue to the sea. Seven told me that the captain had set up a base camp there for shore leave. I think there we are better off than here."

"Good plan." B'Elanna said, sliding her hand into Roots hand. She immediately noticed that Roots hand was shaking slightly, so she squeezed Roots hand slightly and Root gratefully looked at her.

"Nothing will happen to us, do not worry. I am Half-klingon and thus stronger than I look. I protect you and our sunshine." B'Elanna said and grinned at Root after Root looks at her irritated.

"Have you never seen Seven smile? When she smiles, it's as if the sun is rising and wanting to shine forever." Explained B'Elanna and Root gave her a grin.

"Fine, is not it?" She asked and B'Elanna nodded her head and sighed softly. "Yes."


	10. Chapter 10

When Seven finally came out of the locker room after what seemed like an eternity, B'Elanna and Root were surprised. Seven had actually found something nice to wear in this shop and not only that, no, she also looked awesome in it.

Seven wore a simple long-sleeved sand-colored sweater and a sleeveless light brown dress over it, which was a little too far at the hips and reached just over seven knees and gathered at the waistband. She wore a sleeveless vest that reached down to her waist and that could be tied together like a wrap dress if needed. Seven, however, had her open. In addition she wore ankle-high lace-up boots, with which she was a little smaller than with her heel shoes. Actually, it looked very colorless and plain, but with Seven in those things, the overall picture looked irresistibly good and both B'Elanna and Root could only look at Seven speechless as the young woman approached them.

"Appearance is irrelevant, but your opinion is still important to me. What do you think?" Asked Seven shyly, looking from Root to B'Elanna and back again.

Root jumped up from the bench and took Seven in a stormy embrace. "Sweetie, you look stunningly beautiful in it." She said and gave Seven a peck on the cheek.

Seven smiled happily at Root and then looked at B'Elanna, who was still speechless Seven.

"B'Elanna?" Seven asked, looking at her uncertainly.

"Yes, Root is right, you look really great." B'Elanna said, remembering how to speak. Then she also got up and pulled Seven into her arms and kissed her gently on the lips.

Root, who had just held Seven in her arms, took a step back and looked sheepishly in the other direction. She had not been prepared for this kiss between B'Elanna and Seven. But now that he was in front of her, she just could not watch the two of them. It somehow bothered her to see them like that. But she was not sure why she was bothering her. Root decided to think about it later. Now they had to get out of the city, that was more important than thinking about it.

"Come sweetie, let's pay and then drive out of town." Root said a little impatiently.

Seven broke away from B'Elanna and frowned at Root.

"I could hear you talking earlier and yes, you're right the Antrans stared at us, but with countless male crew members on Voyager doing the same thing when they see me, I've always ignored it. Why do you care so much about Antran's behavior that you want to leave the city as fast as possible?" Seven asked, surprising B'Elanna and Root.

"You could hear us and you heard that the Antrans stared at us scary, even though you looked out the window all the time? How?" B'Elanna asked irritated.

"I'm Borg, I have a heightened sense of hearing and a heightened awareness." Seven explained coolly and turned back to go back to the clothes rails.

"Hey wait a minute. Honey, does that mean you could hear all that has been said about you quietly and behind your back on Voyager?" B'Elanna asked and suddenly her stomach ache started, as she had often cursed and whispered about Seven, though she thought Seven would not notice.

"Yes" she said softly and turned back to the clothes on the pole in front of him.

B'Elanna's face went pale and her heart was beating wildly and thumping against her chest. B'Elanna put her hand on Seven's shoulder and turned her over to look deep in her eyes.

"I did not know, I whispered a lot about you, I feel so bad, please forgive me." She said concerned.

Seven looked at Root, who had turned away from the scene and was watching the outside of the shop. Then Seven looked back to B'Elanna.

"You already apologized and I accepted your apology. Further apologies are not necessary. I would like to choose more clothes." Seven said and turned back to let B'Elanna stand.

B'Elanna sighed heavily and walked over to Root. "Shit, I've been a asshole to Seven. I think I can never make amends." She said softly and Root looked at her gently.

"B'E, in which you have apologized for your behavior and are now loving and respectful to Seven, you make it right again. Believe me, if Seven says she forgives you, then she's serious. Can we go now?"

B'Elanna gratefully looked at Root, then shook her head. "No, she would like to see other clothes and try on. I think that will take a while." She said and sat back on the bench. Root, on the other hand, stopped nervously at the entrance to the shop and watched the goings-on outside the store.

After Seven had looked at all the clothes in the shop after about an hour and picked out different outfits, the three women finally left the store with a large shopping bag. But on the way out, Root remembered something else.

"Sweetie, have you plugged your biosuit?" She asked Seven.

Seven shook her head and looked at Root a little sheepishly. "No."

"Why not? I think we should take it with you, even if you do not feel like putting it on. In addition, there are still the communicator and the tracker attached and we definitely need. I'll go fast and get them, please wait for me here." Root hurried back to the store and got the bionic suit. Completely out of breath, because she had hurried, she came back after a few seconds to the two women.

"Okay, now we should really leave the city. I have a bad feeling." Root said worriedly, but a few steps later, Seven suddenly stopped in front of a store and looked inquisitively.

"Honey, why are you stopping?" B'Elanna asked in surprise.

"I'd like to go in here, they cut hair. Please wait for me." Said Seven and walked into the shop without waiting for an answer from Root and B'Elanna. Both women looked at each other irritated.

"I think we'll never leave town like this." B'Elanna sighed and leaned against the wall next to the store. Root stepped to her and grinned at her.

"I think Kid has a lot of fun here in the city. I think it suits her to be away from Voyager. And did you see how good she looked in the clothes she chose? I'm curious to see what she does with her hair." Root said, leaning against B'Elanna and putting her right arm around her shoulder. 

B'Elanna smiled broadly at her and put her hand on Roots right hand and gently stroked it.

"What happened to your bad feeling?" She asked Root.

"It's getting bigger by the minute, but I think we should stay calm and keep an eye on the area around us. We should also stay together and never split up." Root whispered softly into B'Elanna's ear while her eyes scanned the area for hazards. Even now they stared at runaway Antrans and they did not even hide it very well.

Root and B'Elanna stared back at her as they waited for Seven.

When Seven finally got out of business, Root and B'Elanna stared at her in surprise. Seven had her hair cut briefly into a pixie cut, with a strand of hair covering her eyepiece implant. Overall, Seven looked very naughty and young with this new hairstyle.

"Do you like it?" She asked shyly again. Both B'Elanna and Root looked at them enthusiastically and nodded eagerly with their heads.

"Honey, you look awesome. Hardly anyone will recognize you when we return to Voyager." B'Elanna said, kissing Seven gently on her cheek.   
"You are beautiful" she said softly to her and got a charming smile as thanks, from Seven.

"Come on kids, I would like to leave the city now and without further interruptions. Okay?" Root asked nervously as she realized a group of Antrans were came to for they.

The group was about 100 yards away, but not long, and she would be with them. Quickly, Root Seven and B'Elanna pulled along the road and shoved them into a side alley. There she fumbled in her trouser pocket and quickly took out the holoprojector with the data disc of the jeep. She quickly activated it and as soon as the jeep projected in front of them, she urged B'Elanna and Seven to enter.

She herself had by now abandoned all precautionary measures to hide her technology from the Antrans. For Root, it was just important to get out of the city and escape from the Antrans. She had no desire to find out what the Antrans wanted them to do.

As soon as she was in the jeep and everyone was strapped in, Root accelerated and pulled out of the side alley. Just in time, the group could jump aside with the Antrans and stare after the Jeep stunned.

"That was close." Said Root and looked briefly in the rearview mirror.

"What do you mean what they were up to?" B'Elanna asked, sitting in the passenger seat next to Root.

"No idea, but I did not want to stay to find out. I thought it was scary when I saw them approaching us in these little groups." Root answered and looked nervously at the street and drove out of town.

"Maybe she just wanted to get to know us." Seven said, sitting in the backseat.

"Sweetie, I hardly believe that. They did not look as if they had peaceful intentions. It felt a bit aggressive."

"What are we going to do?" B'Elanna asked worriedly.

"We have two options, first we're going on, as intended to the East Coast to the base camp by the sea and make our shore leave or secondly we beam up to Voyager and break off the shore leave and give the captain a report about what happened. Maybe other crewmembers have the same difficulties or similar encounters with the Antrans." Root worried.

"I would like to go to the sea, I like being on shore leave and I do not want to go back to Voyager yet." Seven announced cheerfully from the backseat.

Root looked in the rearview mirror and lifted one of her eyebrows in surprise and B'Elanna turned to Seven in amazement and looked at her closely.

"Are you sure, honey? I mean, I thought the action was pretty intense and, in Rootes opinion, this group had hardly any peaceful intentions towards us. Who knows what else we will experience on the journey to the sea?"

"Yes, I'm sure I do not want to return to Voyager yet. Please let us go to the base camp to the sea." asked Seven again.

B'Elanna looked at Root and Root nodded her head.

"Okay, let's go to the sea first. However, should such an incident happen again, we will cancel the shore leave. I'll report the captain about our experience afterwards." B'Elanna said and Seven beamed at her and sighed in relief.


	11. Chapter 11

Root drove the jeep past green fields and small groves for over an hour before she realized that her concentration was declining significantly. By this time it was early afternoon and her stomach was starting to growl and bump her heart more and more. Slowly she drove the jeep to the side of the road.

"Sorry, I need a break." she said, letting Seven hand her her backpack. Then she took one of her heart tablets and immediately swallowed it without liquid.

"Either we take a break or one of you has to drive on. What do you prefer?" Asked Root.

"I want to drive." Seven called from the backseat and was about to climb forward. B'Elanna stopped her.

"Wait a minute, Honey, you've never driven, I'll drive." B'Elanna said determinedly and kissed Seven on the cheek. But Seven did not look at her softly this time, but drew a distinct pout and frowned.

"Root, I want to drive!" Said Seven seriously and in a tone that indicated she would not accept * no *.

Root, who had just gotten out of the jeep, looked back and forth between Seven and B'Elanna before she decided.

"Sweetie, did you notice what I explained and showed B'E before?" She asked Seven, who nodded her head.

"Okay, then you're allowed to drive." Decided Root and Seven climbed beaming forward on the driver's seat, while B'Elanna Root and Seven looked at stunned.

"But she has never driven and ..." B'Elanna wanted to explain Root, who had sat down in the back and strapped himself.

But Seven had already started the Jeep and he smoothly drove over the highway. B'Elanna paused and looked at her in surprise.

"I'm Borg." Said Seven just and looked briefly to B'Elanna and grinned at her cheerfully. "We can do everything, remember?" She asked cheekily and B'Elanna's mouth shut in amazement. When she reassembled herself a short time later, she turned to Root to complain to her. But she was, shortly after she had sat back, with her head leaning against the window, exhausted fallen asleep.

B'Elanna sighed deeply and looked at Root worriedly.

"We should really take a break soon, I'm getting hungry and Root has not eaten today." B'Elanna admitted after a moment to concerns. Seven kept looking at the street, concentrating on what she was doing.

"In the back seat is my backpack, Neelix gave us fruit. Maybe that will help you. We should let Root have some sleep before we take a break." Said Seven and B'Elanna immediately turned to the backpack and brought him forward to him.

"Thank you." She said already with her mouth full as she had already half an apple pushed into it. Seven gave her a quick look and smiled gently at her.

*******************************

Root woke up sweaty from their dream and was a few moments disoriented. As so often in the past, she always felt like this when she woke up from her nightmare or, more so, her memory.

**Just a moment ago she was in a car driving with Harry through the streets of New York when she was shot by a sniper. Breathing was heavier by the second. But she had to get Harry to safety, only that was important. The machine spoke excitedly into her cochlear implant and made her understand that she was in mortal danger and needed a doctor. Before them, Root saw a roadblock and the police told them to stop. Harry asked her to stop and surrender to the police. But Root blushed and her lungs filled slowly, but not with the air she needed, but with her blood. Then it became quiet around her and ...**

At this point, she always woke up sweaty and gasped for air, which she greedily pulled into her lungs and her heart pounded wildly into her chest. So fast and so painful that she had difficulty breathing again. She had to calm down - she was alive, she was not dead. She was alive. Everything was good. It went through her head like a mantra.

Then she looked to the side and nothing was good. Harry was not sitting next to her anymore and she was even on her own. She was on antria and the jeep was empty. So empty and so quiet.

Only after a few moments was it clear to Root that Seven and B'Elanna were no longer sitting in the jeep with her. In a panic, she hurriedly unbuckled and quickly opened the car door and stumbled out in a rush. Outside she quickly let her eyes wander over the landscape and circled the jeep cautiously.

When she arrived on the right side of the jeep, she finally saw the two women lying in the grass a few feet away. She walked quickly towards the two.

"Hello kids, I was really scared when I woke up and you were no longer with me in the jeep. Why did not you wake me?" Root asked, sitting next to Seven, who had sat upright as soon as she heard Root.

Seven immediately heard Root Heart's quick heartbeat and she looked at her worriedly.

"We needed a break but did not want to wake you up. B'Elanna was hungry and we found a nice place here and thought about setting up our accommodation here. Your heart is beating fast, how can I help you?" Seven asked softly, as B'Elanna seemed to be slumbering next to her, as she had not moved yet or answered.

"Sweetie, I'm fine. I was just scared when I woke up alone. Please wake me up next time." Root said, taking a closer look at the area. "We should set up the camp a little farther off the road. I would rather do that now than later. How long has B'E been sleeping?"

"Not for long." Seven replied, looking over at B'Elanna.

"I do not want to leave her alone here. I will wake her." Root replied, leaning over Seven to B'Elanna. Seven put her arms around Roots waist and held her tight. Root looked back at Seven for a moment and fell in love with the young woman again. Seven looked so damn beautiful in her new look and with her short hair that strayed just a little bit off her head. Some blades of grass had caught in her hair and it looked so incredibly lovely. Therefore, Root leaned back to Seven and kissed her quickly on the cheek.

"Thanks sweetie." She said before leaning back to B'Elanna and kissing the half-Klingon on the cheek to wake her. Since B'Elanna did not respond, Root stroked her nose over B'Elanna's cheek and kissed her back on her chin.

B'Elanna, who had already been awake since Root had come to them, but wanted to rest for a while, responded immediately and also grasped Root's waist and pulled her onto her body and rolled her around so Root was underneath her and she looked surprised.

Dark brown eyes met surprised honey brown eyes and looked deep and excited. B'Elanna lowered her head to Roots face and put her lips on Roots lips and gave her a kiss.

But Root did not stop, but tried to roll B'Elanna down from him. So they fought for a moment until Root lay exhausted in the grass and gasped for breath, while B'Elanna grinned at her and once again lowered her lip on Roots lips and gave her another gentle kiss on it. This time around, Root wrapped her arms around B'Elanna's body, squeezing the half-Klingon in close to her body and deepening the kiss.

Taking advantage of the opportunity B'Elanna was just distracted by the kiss, Root swung her around, so she sat up now and put her hands in B'Elanna's chest, pushing her to the floor.

B'Elanna growled in frustration and madness, glaring at Root wildly.

"Well purred little tiger." Root said, getting up from B'Elanna. As she stood, she lowered her hand to B'Elanna and offered it to her. B'Elanna took Roots hand and pulled herself up.

"You are mine." B'Elanna said in a growl and Root grinned cheekily at her.

"Dream on, little tiger, that will never happen." She said cheekily and winked at B'Elanna.

B'Elanna growled loudly once more.

"Technically, B'Elanna claimed you a few days ago." Suddenly Seven explained to stand next to the two women.

Root and B'Elanna looked at her irritated and curious. "What do you mean Honey?" B'Elanna asked curiously.

"I mean the evening two days ago, when Root had come to Cargo Bay 2 and had a bloody lip. At that time, I perceived your smell of her and now I'm pretty sure how that happened. You kissed her and bit her. Am I right?" Asked Seven and B'Elanna stared at her in disbelief.

"Yes" B'Elanna just said and looked at Root.

"Sweetie, that was different and for that to be clear, B´E can not claim me! We should really leave now and find a suitable place to stay further away from the road." Root said gravely and walked away from the two without looking back and at the jeep to deactivate the holoprojector.  
For Root, the topic was done and she really hoped B'Elanna and Seven knew she was serious.

B'Elanna sighed in frustration and looked at Seven. "Thanks honey, but I think I lost the war and should just give up. Root is not interested in me." She said softly and packed everything they had rummaged out of her backpack for the meal.

"Correctly speaking, it just did not look like root was not interested in you. For me, it looked like she was very interested in you. Her pupils were dilated, her face flushed, her pulse very high, and her heart beat wildly, but very evenly. Besides ..." Before Seven could enumerate more details, B'Elanna put her hand on Seven's mouth.

"Do not ... let it be good. No matter how her body reacted, she said loud and clear that it will never happen. And now, that is a clear indication to me that she does not want me. Okay?" B'Elanna said seriously and kept packing her backpack.

"Okay." Seven said softly and also began to pack her backpack again.

*******************************

After a short while, Root came back to the pair with her backpack and Sevens shopping bag.

"I'm ready, can we go?" She asked the two, who had also packed their backpacks.

"Yeah, we can go." B'Elanna said, but did not look at Root, but got up and turned her back to her.

Seven felt like she was between the fronts in that moment and she was not sure how to deal with the current situation.

Of course, Root noticed that B'Elanna was giving her the cold shoulder, but that was only more than right. She hated it hurt B'Elanna so much, but it was better than making her have false hopes.

So Root came close to Seven and kissed her on the cheek. "Sorry sweetie, I did not want to hurt B'E or you." She said to her and then walked across the meadow to the groves, which was some 100 meters away.

Seven watched her as B'Elanna approached and hacked at her. "Come honey, let's go behind it."

*******************************

Before Seven could answer, B'Elanna's and Seven's communicator hummed.

"Please make ready for the emergency beam" came the message and B'Elanna and Seven looked at each other confused, before they could react to this message, both women realized how they were dematerialized.

A short time later, both women found themselves back on the Voyager in the transporter room.

"What the hell ..." B'Elanna yelled at the Ensign standing at the computer console and doing the emergency beaming.

But the captain interrupted her. "We have an ion storm approaching us, we are all about to beam up to leave the orbit of the planet. Please go to your work departments and check out your crewmembers." Kathryn said busily.

But B'Elanna just looked at her angry and annihilating.

"I have to go back to the planet, Root is all alone there, I can not stay. Beam me right back." Fostered her hot and excited.

The captain looked at her dumbfounded, then nodded to the ensign but he should beam B'Elanna back to the planet.

"Okay, but we'll beam you up right now, so find Root and give her a communicator so we can capture her signs of life." Kathryn said, looking worried at B'Elanna.

B'Elanna nodded in relief and stepped back onto the transport station. A few seconds later she was dematerialized.

Only now Kathryn looked at Seven, who now stood next to her and looked worried. At first, she did not recognize the young woman as Seven. Too unusual was this new sight of her.

"Seven, what happened to your hair?" She asked in astonishment when she realized that that was the biggest change to Seven.

Seven shuffled nervously through her short hair and looked uncertainly at the captain. "I had her cut off. Do you like it?" She asked worriedly.

Kathryn took a closer look at the new hairstyle and then smiled encouragingly at Seven.

"Yes, you are excellent. You have to tell me later what has moved you to have your hair cut off. And your new clothes are also very lovely. But now we have to prepare for the ion storm. Let's go to the bridge ..." Before she could speak further, her communicator hummed.

"Captain, the Ion Storm is fast approaching, we must immediately leave the orbit of the planet and end the emergency teams." Explained her Commander Chakotay excited.

Kathryn tapped her communicator "B'Elanna, we have to leave orbit, you will be on your own for some time." Kathryn said, hoping that B'Elanna would receive the message.

*******************************

B'Elanna, having materialized back onto the planet, immediately looked around for Root, who had moved on far ahead to the grove and had not even noticed Seven and B'Elanna on the Voyager in had been beamed in the meantime.

B'Elanna hurried to Root and shouted her name. Root had turned to her in astonishment and stopped.

During the run B'Elanna had received the new message from the captain. She paused breathlessly and was about to answer the captain when the connection broke off completely and only noise was heard.

"Where's Seven?" Root asked after rushing back to B'Elanna.

"She's on Voyager. We were just beamed up. An ion storm is approaching and all crewmembers have been beamed up. I demanded to be beamed back because I did not want to leave you alone. But now the Voyager had to leave the orbit of the planet. So first we are on our own. No idea how long it will take for Voyager to come back and pick us up. I think we will not be the only ones still stuck here on Antrie." B'Elanna said seriously.

Root looked pale. She did not like being stuck on Antrie all of a sudden. Fortunately, Seven was safe.


	12. Chapter 12

**Antrie**

"Okay, let's go further and find a place to set up the accommodation. We should hurry, the sun is setting soon." Root said and turned back to the small grove.

B'Elanna hurried back to the spot where she had just been beamed up by Voyager, where her backpack and that of Seven lay, and picked them up. Fortunately, Seven had not put her backpack on, otherwise the food in her backpack would be lost to her and Root. Relieved, B'Elanna sighed and quickly followed Root, who was already several yards ahead with her long legs.

"Hey, wait a minute. I'm not as fast as you are." She shouted, after realizing that Root had a pretty good pace and that she did not come so fast with two backpacks.

Root stopped and looked around for B'Elanna. When she saw how packed B'Elanna was, she smiled gently at her and waited for the half-klingon woman to reach her.

"Sorry, come on, I'll pick something up." Root said and was about to reach for a backpack, but B'Elanna took a step away from her and looked at her icy. "No, I can do it. Keep going and I'll follow you." She said decisively. She did not want to be weak on Root and Root looked so thin and lanky, she supposed, that Root was not strong enough to carry a second backpack.

"Okay, whatever you want." Root said a little pouting and turned back to the grove she had been heading for.

"Can the Ion Storm become dangerous to the Voyager?" Asked Root after she had been silent for several minutes.

"If they managed to escape the ion storm in time, then no. However, if they are right in the middle, the Ion Storm can do a lot of harm to Voyager. But I think they made it." Said B'Elanna stomping behind Root.

"Good" Root said, hoping B'Elanna was right.

**Voyager**

After Voyager had barely escaped the Ion storm and now waited at a safe distance to return to the planet, the Captain had summoned a meeting of their senior officers.

"Chakotay Report" was asking her from her first commander when all the senior officers who were on Voyager had finally arrived in the meeting room.

Chakotay sits down in his chair and picks up the data padd and reads it out.

"We were able to beam up 37 of 50 crew members who had landed on Antrie today. Among them is Ensign S. Wildmann with Naomi. Tom, Harry, B'Elanna, Neelix, and 10 other crewmembers are still on the planet. Tom, Harry and Neelix are in the base camp on the East Coast and have taken the lead there. B'Elanna was brief on the Voyager, but was beamed back to the planet looking for Root. Where the two are located is unknown." He closed his report.

Kathryn gratefully nodded at him and then looked at Seven. "Seven, can you explain more exactly where you were when you were beamed up?" She asked the young woman, who was worriedly sitting in her seat.

"I can use the beam coordinates to find out exactly where we were when we were high-beamed." Seven replied stiffly.

"Why you were not in the base camp on the East Coast, where most crew members wanted to spend their shore leave?" Kathryn asked curiously.

Seven looked at her coolly and then explained. "The doctor asked us to bring Root something she needed. And when we were with her, we decided to travel to Base Camp instead of being beamed there."

"What did you bring Root, what was so important?" Kathryn asked a little more curiously.

"Captain, I can not answer that question because it's very personal." Seven said in her usual Borg voice. Kathryn frowned, knowing full well that Seven only spoke when she was uncomfortable.

"Good, Lt. Carey, what about the damage? How long will the repairs take?" Kathryn now asked her senior engineer because B'Elanna was not present to do the repairs with her team.

After Lt. Carey had given the Captain a detailed explanation and guesses as to how long the repairs would take, the captain had declared the leadership officers' meeting over, and had sent them all to their respective departments.

"Seven, please stay a moment." asked Kathryn, as most had left the conference room. Seven looked at her blankly and stepped in front of her.

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry that your shore leave came to an end so quickly. I'd like to know more about your stay on the planet, would you like to join me for dinner later?" Kathryn asked gently.

Kathryn saw exactly how Seven relaxed from moment to moment and thought about her request.

After thinking about it, Seven smiled at her. "I like to keep you company. When should I come by?"

"How about you come over once you know where B'Elanna and Root are right on the planet and how far they are from Base Camp?" Kathryn asked and Seven nodded her head.

"Good, then we'll see each other." Kathryn said dismissing Seven, who also left the conference room and headed for astrometry.

Kathryn watched her for a moment, admiring Seven Po moving back and forth in the dress. Seven looked really cute in those new clothes and she liked her new hair too. Kathryn was curious about the circumstances that led to Seven dropping her organic suit and having her hair cut.

**Antrie**

"I think this is a good place to stay. What do you say?" Asked Root, who had been walking through the grove for a while, now standing in a small clearing that led to one side of a small stream that led to a larger basin to the right of where they stood , From all sides, the clearing was hidden by trees and bushes. Your accommodation would thus be protected from outside eyes.

"Yes, looks pretty good. I'll go down to the water and see if the water is drinkable with the tricorder." B'Elanna said and pulled the tricoder out of her backpack and scanned the area as she walked towards the small stream.

Root pulled her holoprojector out of her jacket pocket and studied it closely. He looked exactly as usual, but the suns shined him so that she wondered how real it all was? Was Antrie, the Voyager and the Delta Quadrant real or was it just a simulation she was in? This question came to her often and she had thought about it a lot. What if all she had experienced in the last two and a half years was just a simulation, and she was actually kept in a secret hiding place by Mr. Greer and Samaritan, just like Sameen was? What if all this just went into her head and she was still vegetating to a psychiatric clinic in suburban New York? What if…

***********************

After B'Elanna had scanned the creek with the tricorder and found out that the water was drinkable, she had first washed her face with the cool water and then drunk a handful of it. It tasted okay. Unfortunately, she had forgotten her drinking bottle in her backpack, so she had to go back.

On the way to Root and her backpack B'Elanna Root saw sitting in the tall grass. She had something in her hand that moved her back and forth. The movement reflected the sunbeams shining on that thing in Root's hand, throwing small flashes of light that often hit Roots face, as well as B'Elanna as she approached.

At first, that was nothing unusual, but the closer B'Elanna came, the more she worried. Root sat bolt upright in the tall grass and did not move a bit. She seemed miles away in her thoughts, and she did not seem to notice B'Elanna returning to her.

"Hey, I thought you had already projected the accomodation when I got back. What's going on?" B'Elanna asked. But Root sat motionless in the grass, staring at the holoprojector, which she turned her fingers back and forth, studying the reflections of light.

"Root?" B'Elanna asked and knelt down to her. But Root remained motionless. B'Elanna put her hands on Roots shoulders and squeezed them gently. "Root? Root, what's going on? Are you alright?" B'Elanna asked a bit more worried. But even now Root showed no emotion.

B'Elanna snapped her fingers in front of Roots face, but Root did not seem to notice.

B'Elanna sat down in the grass at Root and stared helplessly at her, who was still sitting beside her lifelessly and did not move. She was breathing and her chest was sinking and lifting with each breeze, but more did not happen to her. Helpless, B'Elanna stroked her forehead crest with a sigh and sighed deeply.

Frustrated, she took the holoprojector out of Root's hand and looked at it the way Root had done.

"Hey" Root called and looked at B'Elanna stunned. "Why did you take it away from me?" Root asked her.

B'Elanna looked at her confusedly, she opened her mouth and then closed it again before she opened it again and Root answered.

"Because you just stared at the thing motionless and did not respond to me or your surroundings. I only took it from you because I wanted to project the accommodation. I was worried about you, what was wrong with you?" Said and asked B'Elanna angrily.

Root blushed and looked sheepishly at B'Elanna. "Sorry, I was thinking." She said softly and looked down.

"That must have been really serious thoughts, if you do not even know how I shake you by your shoulders or snap my fingers in front of your face or speak to you. May I ask what you have been thinking about so intensely?" B'Elanna asked a bit snippily. She was hungry and she was tired and it was a long day and she did not want to wait any longer to finally get some food and rest.

"I've just been thinking about reality and unreality. Is this real or is it a simulation? Is it important what it is or does it make any difference? I must have absorbed myself too much in my thoughts. Sometimes that happens. Sorry." Root said and B'Elanna looked at her irritated.

"What? Why are you thinking about something like that? Do not we worry about others to think about instead?" She asked uncomprehending.  
Root looked at her gently and stroked B'Elanna's cheek.

"Well, if this is a simulation and everything in my head is going on, then we have no worries we need to think about. Then it does not matter what happens or what we will do. It makes no difference. If that, but everything is real, then you're right and there's more that we need to take care of." Root said softly, leaning forward to B'Elanna and putting her lips on B'Elanna's lips and kissing her gently.

B'Elanna, who had not expected this kiss or explanation, was perplexed for a moment. But the longer Roots lips lingered on her lips and she perceived Roots scent, the more her blood began to rush and her heart beat wildly. With a sweep, she pulled Root onto her lap and put her arms around Root and returned the kiss wildly. Only when she noticed something wet on her cheeks, she broke from Roots lips and looked at her questioningly.

Many tears ran down Roots cheeks and her eyes were closed. The more tears she shot, the more her body trembled as she silently began to sob. B'Elanna pulled Root into her arms and hugged her tight. Her right hand stroked Roots back and gently stroked it for reassurance.

"Shht, shht..." she whispered, but was completely overwhelmed with this situation. She had no idea what was going on with Root, which is why she was crying or why Root had just kissed her before. Was she crying because she had kissed B'Elanna?

Suddenly, Root broke away from B'Elanna's arms and wiped her tears with her hand before she stepped off B'Elanna's lap.

"We have to set up the lodging and what to eat for you." She said and picked up the holoprojector and rummaged some data disc out of her jacket pocket and looked at it closely. B'Elanna just looked at her in surprise. In order to lighten the mood, she therefore asked. "Was my kiss so bad that you had to howl?"

Root laughed briefly and then looked at B'Elanna with a wry smile.

"No, I had to howl because I'm so damn frustrated. I do not have my laptop with me and I can not find a data disc on which there is an accomodation that, to some extent, keeps us safe overnight. With my laptop I could have programmed a new and safe place to stay." Root said and sighed deeply.

"Do you really think the last night's accommodation is not safe enough for us?" B'Elanna asked worriedly.

"I still have that uneasy feeling and since I know we can not beam back to Voyager when we're in danger, that feeling has gotten worse. I do not like it so stuck." Root said, turning the holoprojector between her fingers, undecided.

"Hm ... I think we should project the accommodation and security fence from yesterday. It's better than being in the dark without accommodation soon. Okay?" B'Elanna asked and Root gratefully nodded that B'Elanna had taken the decision from her.

Root was just too tired and too much of the day to make any decisions. Therefore, she was only too happy to give up the scepter and searched the data disc with the accommodation of last night. Once the accommodation was projected, B'Elanna went back to the creek and felt several bottles of water while Root projected the multi-adapter setup in the accommodation.

When B'Elanna came back, she cleared the backpacks of herself and Seven and sorted the food supplies that were in them. Then she decided on a dish, which did not warm her, but just opened the packaging. Since Root had not eaten all day, she took the same dish out for them and sat down next to Root on the grass.

"Here's your food, I hope it tastes good." She said and began devouring her food. Root just looked at her pityingly and pushed aside her food, which fortunately was still too.

"I'm glad Seven is safe on Voyager. I just wish we were." Sighing, she looked closely at the surroundings. This reminded B'Elanna that she still had the communicator for Root in her pocket. Quickly she put her food aside and fished it out and gave it to Root.

"So you'll be beamed up the next time, too." she said, winking at Root. But then she frowned.

"Please eat something, you have to keep your strength, if we are in danger. Then maybe we both need to fight together against the rest of the world." Explained B'Elanna seriously and took a spoonful of her food and slid it on Roots lips. Root looked piteously at B'Elanna, but still took the spoon full of food in her mouth and chewed uneasily on it.

"Not the most delicious thing I've ever eaten." Root complained after swallowing. B'Elanna grinned at her cheekily. "It's just emergency food, what do you expect? Be glad it's not Neelix Leola root soup."

Root grimaced in memory of the potato soup she had tasted a spoon a few days ago.

"By the way, I heard you were puzzling Neelix and Harry a few days ago." B'Elanna said, shoving a spoonful of food into Roots mouth as she opened it and tried to explain it. Now she closed her mouth again and chewed on her food before answering.

"Neelix is nice and cute, do not you think so?" She asked, grinning cheekily at B'Elanna, her mouth open speechless.

"Neelix ?? Hm ... I do not know." Said B'Elanna, who had never really thought to see Neelix as sweet. She liked Neelix, but his colorful clothes, which he always wore and the always cheerful and happy appearance, that bothered her a lot, as she was a half-Klingon, rather the opposite of cheerful and happy.

B'Elanna took another spoonful of food and pushed Root over his nose. "One more, do it for Neelix." Said B'Elanna and grinned at Root too, and to her astonishment, Root really opened her mouth and devoured the food on the spoon and chewed it with relish. After that, she winked at B'Elanna and said. "For Neelix, I would eat anything, just not his food, which he prepared."

B'Elanna laughed at Root and went straight to get the emergency package, which Root had shushed earlier. "Okay, eat that now, please." She told Root and Roots grin disappeared from her face and she turned pale.

"Okay, okay, that was a joke, you do not have to eat it. I'll be happy if you eat what I give you on the spoon." B'Elanna said quickly. She was still too well remembered what had happened this morning when Root was supposed to eat her toast with eggs. She did not want a repeat of it.

"Thanks" Root said with relief, smiling softly at B'Elanna. Then she leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"By the way, I've just come up with a much better place to stay, where we can certainly spend a lot of the night safely." Root said mysteriously, glancing brightly at B'Elanna.


	13. Chapter 13

**Voyager**

After Seven had figured out where Root and B'Elanna were on Antrie and how far it would take them to get to their base camp on the East Coast, she figured out how long they would need for the trip. Assuming they were traveling by jeep.

After that she had gone quickly into Roots spaceship and had taken a shower. She had previously replicated underwear with the replicator because she had none before. Under the organic suit she did not need any underwear and she could not buy Antrie because there was none in the shop where she had bought her new clothes. So she had been running around without underwear the whole time. Luckily, no one knew that except herself, which she did not care. Now she quickly put on her new underwear, where she had a little trouble with the bra. But with savage determination, she managed it anyway. She was Borg, so she could not fail with such a stupid thing. That was impossible.

Over the bra she pulled a light brown sweater and over a sleeveless wrap dress, which she loosely tied around her upper body. The wrap dress reached up to her thighs, so she pulled on a pair of sand-colored tight-fitting pants underneath. Finally, she put on her new lace-up boots and ruffled through her short hair, which was now dry. When she was satisfied with her look, she made her way to the Capatin's quarters.

*********************

"Come in" Kathryn shouted, and Seven entered the captain's quarters.

Kathryn had sat on the couch so far, reading a data padd about the various repairs that were needed in each section of her ship. She immediately put the data padd aside and got up when Seven entered her quarters.

Quickly Kathryn noticed that Seven had put on something new and that it also looked very lovely to her, like what she had worn before. Smiling, she approached Seven and to Seven's surprise Kathryn hugged her lightly.

"Nice that you came. I thought I'd make sandwiches for dinner, sit down comfortably on the couch and you tell me what you've experienced on the planet. What do you say, does that sound good to you?" Kathryn asked and Seven looked at her in surprise, then nodded her head.

"Okay, sit down while I replicate the sandwiches. What would you like to drink?" Kathryn asked as she walked to the replicator.

"Please water." Seven said and sat on the couch. She immediately realized that her current clothes made her much more comfortable sitting on the couch than her organic suit. So she sat down on the couch andoverturned her legs and leaned against the backrest. From this position she looked closely at Kathryn.

Kathryn had also changed clothes and now recreational items that flattered her figure. Seven liked to look at her captain, no matter when and in which situation. Of course she did that secretly and not obviously. She tried to memorize each of these moments, waking her up later, when she had time, and reveling in the memories.

In the last few days with Root and B'Elanna, Seven had learned a lot about social behavior and there was a lot she liked to do and a lot she did not want to accept. She wondered if, in this situation, she would be able to use the learned behaviors she had adapted, or would that be inappropriate? So she would like to call the captain by her first name, or pull her in her arms and kiss her on the cheek, as Root always did with her. She would also like to caress the cheek of her captain and enjoy the pleasant tingling that would then spread into her body to the fullest. This tingling sensation she had experienced more often in the last few days, whenever Root kissed her on the cheek or B'Elanna and her had kissed and hugged.

"Seven?" Kathryn asked, as she had returned to couch, with two plates and a plate Seven handed, but this had not yet responded.

Seven blinked at Kathryn and blushed but said nothing. Instead, she took the plate off Kathryn . "Thanks" she said softly and put the plate on the coffee table in front of her.

Kathryn also set her plate down on the couch table and went back to the replicator to get the drinks.

"You were miles away with your thoughts. May I ask what you thought about?" Kathryn asked as she came back to couch.

"I've been thinking about love and how it can express itself in different ways." Seven replied softly.

Kathryn sat down on the couch and looked at her closely.

"You and Root, you got closer?" She asked, afraid of the answer, but she had to know. Since she had told Root that she would never be able to get along with Seven, and instead make her happy, she'd been able to think of most of the time. She had been wondering all the time what they were doing on the planets. Whether they had already come closer or even had already loved each other? Kathryn had these questions crushed internally and therefore this day she had pulled back badly in her ready room and breed alone in front of her.

When Seven had been beamed up and standing in front of her, her heart had jumped for joy. And she wanted to pull her into her arms and never let go. But then she had remembered that she was the captain and that the Ion Storm was putting her in a dangerous position and that there were far more important things to be done.

And now her heart was pounding wildly, and she was afraid of the answer she would receive from Seven.

"No, Root and I did not get closer. Root does not want to relate to me. She wants to fix her spaceship as soon as she gets back to Voyager and then make her return journey to the Alpha Quadrant. B'Elanna is very angry about root. She fell in love with her and I think Root fell in love with B'Elanna as well. In any case, her physical signs indicate that. But I honestly did not think about that. I thought about it ..." Seven stopped and looked at Kathryn uncertainly.

Kathryn looked at Seven incredulously, had heard her right - Root did not want to relate to Seven? And B'Elanna was in love with Root and Root in B'Elanna? What was that mess again? Did she want to know? No, thought Kathryn, she wanted to stay out of the privacy of her crewmates.

"May I show you what I was thinking about?" Seven bravely asked for a moment she wondered if she was really brave enough to implement what she had learned the last few days.

Kathryn still looked at Seven speechless, but also wanted to know what Seven wanted to show her, so she nodded her head and said "Yes."

Seven smiled happily at Kathryn and put her hand on Kathryn's cheek, stroking it gently. Before Kathryn could say anything, Seven leaned over and kissed her tenderly. Her lips gently touch Kathryn's lips. Just a moment, then the lips of Seven dissolve again from Kathryn's lips and Seven leans back on the couch and looks at Kathryn with gleaming eyes.

"I thought about that." she said, enjoying the pleasant tingling that spread throughout her body. Then she waited for the reaction of her captain.

But Kathryn just blinked at her and said nothing.

"Captain?" Seven asked her.

"You can not kiss me and call me Captain afterwards. That will not work!" Kathryn said sternly.

"Call me Kathryn, as long as we're off duty and you kiss me." She said and now leaned over to Seven, put her lips on her soft lips and breathed a kiss on it before she leaned back again.

Seven's eyes lit up pleased Kathryn. "I'll comply." she said coolly, then winked at Kathryn.

But then Kathryn raised her hand "You realize that I'm the captain and you as my crewmember you can not kiss me?" She asked and looked at Seven with a look that Seven could not really interpret.

"Yes." Seven said sadly and stood up.

"Where do you want to go?" Kathryn asked irritated.

"I wanted to go to the engine room and LT. Carey offer my help. The repairs can be done faster and Root and B'Elanna be beamed back from the planet earlier." Explained Seven cool and hid behind her Borg mask.

Of course, Kathryn saw through her and got up from the couch and walked to Seven's side. Then she pulled the young woman into her arms and stared at her for a moment.

"Seven, if I was not the captain and would have to bring Voyager and my crew safely to the Alpha Quadrant, I'd like to hold you and kiss you forever. But I am who I am." Kathryn said, looking at Seven unhappily.

Seven thought about it for a moment before answering.

"You're right, you're the captain, and I'm your crew member. You have your job as well as I have my duties. But right now I am only Seven and you only Kathryn. We are equal and out of service right now. Therefore, you must not forbid me what you wish as well as I wish from the bottom of my heart." Seven said as always very logically and then put her lips back on Kathryn's lips and kissed her devotedly.

And Kathryn allowed it without further objections. She even intensified the kiss more and more. Any idea why this was all wrong and why she should not let Seven so close to him, were forgotten and only this kiss, which she shared with Seven was still important.

It was only after half an eternity that both women broke up to catch their breath. Both looked at each other with glassy eyes as their bodies glowed and their hearts beat wildly.

Seven mischievously looked at Kathryn before saying "You are mine!" And then imitated B'Elanna's growl.

Kathryn looked at her irritated. "What?" She asked in surprise.

"That's what B'Elanna told me yesterday when she claimed me. I thought it suited our situation, so I said it." Seven replied a little uncertainly.

Kathryn frowned and pulled away from Seven's arms, then she took a few steps in the living room before she looked at Seven again.

"B'Elanna has claimed you? Why and what does it mean exactly? Please explain it to me." asked Kathryn looked at Seven with a frown.

"B'Elanna bit me in the wrist and snarled * You are mine * and I said I am yours with all that I am and have." Seven sent meekly.

"And that happened yesterday?" Kathryn asked more closely.

"Yes."

"But why are you kissing me when you seem to be with B'Elanna?" Kathryn asked a little more irritably.

"I'm in love with you, so I kissed you. And B'Elanna and I have agreed that we want a polygamous relationship." Seven said softly and uncertainly and Kathryn stared at her with wide eyes.

"What ??" she asked stunned.

When Seven did not answer, Kathryn moved close to her and put her hands on Seven's shoulders, looking deep into her eyes.

"If you want to be with me and let me leave the captain out and form a relationship with you, it will not be a polygamous relationship. I want to have you all to myself and I do not want to share you with any other person. Please tell me, for whom does your heart beat more and with whom do you want to be together? Is it B'Elanna or is it me?" Kathryn asked quietly, but inside her heart a storm of emotions raged. How could it be that she had come so close to her dream and now lost everything in no time at all?

Seven did not have to think about this question for a second. "My heart beats for you and I want to be with you." She confidently declared loud and clear.

"Are you really sure about that? What about B'Elanna?" Kathryn asked again. She just had to know for sure.

"Yes, I am very sure. I admire B'Elanna and I like her very much, but my heart is yours and that for a very long time. I'll ask B'Elanna to release me as soon as she returns to Voyager." Seven replied without hesitation.

There were tears in Kathryn's eyes, which she quickly wiped away. She was overjoyed, Seven was in love with her, her heart was beating for her and she just wanted to be with her. She quickly pulled Seven into her arms and hugged her tight.

"You are mine." Kathryn said, imitating Seven's growls from the very beginning. Then both women looked at each other and had to giggle.

"I'm going to have to beat B'Elanna to release you." Kathryn said, sighing deeply.

"I still do not understand why she claimed you when she's in love with Root. That's a mess, do not you think?" She asked Seven and Seven could only shrug.

"And you're really sure it's me that you want to be with? I'm a lot older than you and I'm the captain. I'm almost always on duty and Voyager and crew will always come first in my life. I'm practically married to my job, which means I have little free time and I also have some quirks and ticks." Kathryn admitted and blushed something, but Seven smiled widely at her.

"I know all that and none of it, keeps me from loving you. I am yours and you are mine and I love everything that you are. That does not mean that I'll agree with everyone you do." she said and Kathryn looked at her with emotion.

"Well, I would not want it otherwise. I love discussing with you and experiencing your view of things. Come on, let's eat the sandwiches and then tell me what you've experienced on the planet. Yes?" Kathryn asked, taking Seven Hand in hers and leading her back to the couch.


	14. Chapter 14

**Antrie**

"What's that?" B'Elanna asked skeptically as she stood in front of the projected hot air balloon.

"This is a hot air balloon, you can fly with it, but for tonight it's our accommodation. I think that makes me feel better." Declared Root and looked proudly at the hot air balloon and thought her idea was good.

The hot air balloon had a wicker basket that was about 1.40 mx 1.40 m wide and about 1.10 m high. The balloon cover, which was connected to the carrying and control ropes with the wicker basket, proudly protruded about 25 m in height. Overall, the hot air balloon looked very impressive and B'Elanna was awed once around him and admired him.

"But, that's so huge. We will not be overlooked. I thought we were hiding." B'Elanna replied after she returned to Roots side.

"Well, that may be, but if you discover us, we'll just go to heaven with it and be safe. Do you see this rope?" Asked Root, picking up a thick rope that was attached to the wicker basket. After B'Elanna looked at it, Root continued.

"This will allow us to fix the hot air balloon to the ground so that we will not be able to fly away while hovering about 3-4 meters above the ground overnight. However, if anyone wants to come and make trouble for us, we cut this rope off and start the burner and just fly away." Explained Root and was almost euphoric given the great idea she had had. B'Elanna, on the other hand, had her doubts, so she continued to look skeptically at Root.

"How do we want to sleep in it? It's not a lot of room in it." She pointed out, but Root just smiled at her and pulled out another holoprojector and picked out the appropriate data disc. With that she projected two sleeping bags.

"These are sleeping bags, we'll sleep in them. It may not be as comfortable as the bed we had yesterday, but it will. Come on, do not look so skeptical." Root said, putting her arm around B'Elanna's shoulders and hugging her for encouragement. B'Elanna grunted a little, then sighed resignedly and gave herself up. Honestly, she was glad that Root was in a better mood and was not so anxious to face the night.

"Okay, then let's go to on the toilet and then we'll start." Root cheered and went to pee in the woods before she got into the hot air balloon for the night. B'Elanna did the same and a short time later the two women loaded the hot air balloon with their backpacks and sleeping bags.

Then Root tied the rope, which she had previously shown B'Elanna, to a nearby tree and then helped B'Elanna, who was much smaller than her, enter the wicker basket. Then Root joined and started the burner. Shortly thereafter, the hot air balloon rose in the air and B'Elanna was a little anxious stuck to the parapet.

After the hot air balloon hovered about 4m above the ground, Root turned off the burner again and looked at the instruments to make sure everything was alright. Then she turned to B'Elanna and only now realized how this held convulsively to the parapet.

"Do not say you're afraid of heights?" Root asked and looked at B'Elanna gently.

"Nah, all right, that thing just wobbled a bit too much for my taste. Not more. All right." B'Elanna said quickly and broke away from the parapet for proof.

Root beamed at her and kissed her gently on the cheek. "I'm really happy because I think the wobbling will stay that way most of the night, at least whenever we move." Root said and B'Elanna paled a paler.

"Seriously?" She asked in shock and Root nodded her head.

"Sorry, I will not try to move too much, okay?" Root asked, sitting down on the bottom of the hot air balloon and slipping into her sleeping bag. B'Elanna did the same and both women snuggled a little together. Root fell asleep instantly, but B'Elanna lay awake for a long time, even after it got dark. She listened to the darkness and with every sound she wondered if it was an animal or an antrans.

Root had slipped her hand into B'Elanna's hand before falling asleep, and B'Elanna thought it reassuring to hold Roots's hand. When she finally fell asleep, she was sound asleep. So she had the nightmare the root and in which she called for Sameen, completely missed. Also the group Antraner who had laid in the grove around the clearing in wait. From the small group in the morning in the city, a large group of about 40-50 Antrans had followed, following the tracks left by the three women on their way to the East Coast.

Now they were waiting for a golden opportunity to approach the three women. But the hot air balloon in front of them scared him, so they kept their distance and waited and watched.

**Voyager**

"What?" Kathryn asked excitedly after Seven told her about the events of the day on Antrie. "What did the Antrans want from you?"

"I do not know, Root projected a jeep so fast and urged us to step in that I did not know exactly what was going on. Then we left the city in a hurry and drove towards the east coast. Root and B'Elanna were visibly scared of the Antrans and did not accept my objection that they might just want to get to know us. Did other crew members on shore leave experience similar experiences?" Seven asked curiously.

Meanwhile, the two women had eaten their sandwiches and sat comfortably together on the couch, while Seven reported on her experiences on Antrie.

"No, I have not heard anything like that before. But that may also be because most of the crew members have been beamed to Base Camp on the East Coast and have settled there. So they did not have time to get acquainted with the planet's population yet." Kathryn explained and sipped her coffee, which she had replicated in the meantime.

"Hm ... I hope both of them are fine and they can stay out of trouble until we can pick them up." Kathryn said after putting her coffee cup down on the coffee table. Now she turned to Seven, took her hand in her hand, gently stroked it with her thumbs and smiled wryly at her.

"Today was very exciting, both for you and for me. I should go to sleep, but I'm worried that when I wake up everything was a dream and we have not yet talked about our feelings for each other. May I ask you to sleep by me today?" Kathryn asked.

Seven blinked at her, the face of that question irritating and thinking about it. "You want to copulate?" She asked after a moment. The smile fell from Kathryn's face and she looked at Seven speechless for a moment.

"No ..., Seven no, I did not ask for that afterwards. I asked you if you would stay here with me and sleep by me." Kathryn said quickly and blushed visibly.

Seven's expression changed abruptly and she grinned at Kathryn. "I was just joking." She cheerfully winked at Kathryn. Kathryn looked at her in astonishment, as she had not yet met Seven's funny side.

"My sleeping clothes, however, are in my backpack, which I forgot on Antrie. I needed something new to sleep." Seven pointed out.

"No problem, if you want we can replicate something new or you can get something from me. Whatever you prefer." Kathryn said confidently and got up from the couch and held out her hand to Seven.

Seven took her hand and let Kathryn lead her into the bedroom. Seven had never been in these rooms, so she looked around with interest, while Kathryn searched for her in her closet for sleeping clothes.

The bed was about the same size as the bed Root had projected in the accommodation last night. But it did not have that many pillows and blankets. The whole setup was very different from the facility that Root had in her bedroom on her spaceship.

Kathryn's bedroom was very neat and there was not much to look at. In Roots bedroom on the other hand was a lot of clothes, technical stuff, books and her bed had many pillows and blankets in which you could sink comfortably.

Seven was unsure how the night would go with Kathryn. However, she was really looking forward to finding out.

"Okay, I've got pajamas, a nightgown, and a pajamas from the Star Fleet. The pajamas could be a little short on the legs and sleeves, and the pajamas could be the same. What do you say, would you like to try it or just replicate something new in your size?" Kathryn asked as she got the items out of her closet and spread them on her bed to show them to Seven.

All three of the sleep clothes looked okay for Seven, so she took the pajamas first and held it to her body.

"That should be enough. Thank you." she said gently, putting the pajamas back on the bed and undoing the knot of her wrap dress and taking it off. Next, she put her hands on the cuff of her pullover and tried to take it off.

Kathryn, momentarily emerging from her closet, stared at Seven for a moment, drawing a deep breath into her lungs. But then she hurried to give Seven the privacy she needed.

Seven, who had noticed that, turned to Kathryn and looked at her in surprise.

"Why did you turn around?" She asked innocently as she pulled the sweater over her head.

"It's not polite to watch someone undress, especially if someone does not notice it. It could be interpreted as voyeurism." Kathryn explained objectively.

Seven, now only in her bra and tight pants in Kathryn's bedroom, looked at Kathryn, still frowning. Then she moved closer to her and tapped her shoulder.

Kathryn was startled for a moment and then turned her head to Seven and looked at her questioningly.

"You can watch me when I undress. It does not bother me. If it bothered me, I would have gone to the bathroom and moved out of there." Seven said with a smile on her lips.

Kathryn turned around in embarrassment and saw Seven standing half naked in her bra in front of her. She had to swallow for a moment as her gaze wandered over Seven's abdominal implant. It looked so grotesquely on Seven's pale smooth skin. And yet it attracted her magically.

Seven noticed Kathryn's eyesight on her abdominal implant and looked ashamed. "I know, I look ugly, I'm sorry." Seven said, quickly picking up the pajama top and covering her upper body with it.

Kathryn looked at her annoyed and approached Seven. With her hand she pulled lightly on the pajama top and took it from Seven hands.

"You're right, it does not look very nice, but it's part of you. Please do not be ashamed. You are a very beautiful young woman and I love you, with all you are and have. This includes your Borg implants. May I?" Kathryn asked, placing her hand carefully on Seven's abdominal implant and gently stroking it to Seven's skin. Unlike what she had assumed, the implant was warm and not cold, as it looked.

Seven winced as Kathryn stroked her skin and Kathryn looked at her curiously.

"My skin is very sensitive around the implants." Seven explained while Kathryn continued to stroke her skin.

"Good to know." Kathryn murmured softly and put her other hand on Seven's hip and pulled the young woman to him.

"I want to know everything about you, explore you. Please tell me, if that's too fast for you or if you do not like something." Kathryn said and kissed Seven gently and tenderly on her mouth.

Seven immediately returned the kiss and took Kathryn in her arms. Both women hugged and kissed for a long moment before Seven slowly broke away from Kathryn and looked at her mischievously.

"I also want to explore you, but you need your sleep now. You're the captain and should therefore be rested." Seven said thoughtfully and Kathryn groaned softly.

"Okay, okay, you're right. But you realize that I probably will not get an eye when we go to bed now?" Kathryn asked with a grin.

"Then I'd better go, so you can sleep." Seven said and wanted to put on her sweater again. But Kathryn quickly took the sweater from Seven Hands and pulled Seven back into her arms.

"No, please stay. I do not want to sleep alone tonight. And I will try to sleep. Promised. Are you staying?" Kathryn asked and looked at Seven pleadingly.

Seven sighed and then nodded her head. "Yes" she said quietly and gave Kathryn a peck on her cheek before taking the pajamas and going to the bathroom to continue changing.

Kathryn looked relieved and then picked out her own sleeping gear. After Seven was done in the bath, the women changed hands and Kathryn went into the bathroom, while Seven slipped under the covers and lay down in her favorite sleeping position, waiting for Kathryn to return.  
Secretly Seven missed her cuddly toy and also Root and B`Elanna. She was able to fall asleep with them and she wondered how she could fall asleep with Kathryn at her side. She was a bit queasy already. She did not want to disturb Kathryn's sleep by her presence. So, Seven decided to leave when Kathryn could not fall asleep.

After a while, Kathryn finally stepped out of the bathroom. She wore a silk nightshirt that had spaghetti straps and flattered around Kathryn's figure. Seven absorbed this image and stored it in her cortical knot so that she would be able to view this image again and again.

Kathryn smiled gently at Seven and then crawled under the covers and slipped close to Seven.

"Hello" she said, stroking her hand over Seven's cheek. Then she leaned over and gave Seven a good night kiss to her lips.

"Are you comfortable and warm enough?" She asked and Seven nodded her head as she moved closer to Kathryn's body.

"Can I cuddle up to you?" She asked shyly and Kathryn grinned at her wide. "Yes darling, that would be very nice." Kathryn replied and lay down on her back so that Seven could cuddle up to her.

A short time later, both women had fallen asleep to each other.


	15. Chapter 15

**Voyager**

Kathryn lay awake for a while, looking at Seven, who was still asleep. During the night, her sleep positions had changed a bit, so that Seven was now lying on her back, one hand on her stomach, holding her pillow tightly against her, the other hand behind her head, her hair disheveled and hers Face was relaxed in her sleep and looked so incredibly young.

A small stab of pain pierced Kathryn's heart and her thoughts became heavy. How could Seven just want to be with her, where she was so much older than Seven? B'Elanna would be more appropriate for Seven in age. Should she give up on the idea of being with Seven and tell her that she had changed her mind? Could she really go back? How much would that hurt Seven if she did that? Would Seven ever talk to her again? Or would Seven gratefully accept the decision and also notice that B'Elanna was the better partner for her?

Kathryn's thoughts kept circling her head as she looked at Seven.

"Please, stop thinking and kiss me better." Seven suddenly said into the darkness and Kathryn was startled. Seven eyes blinked and she smiled broadly at Kathryn.

"Please kiss me" Seven asked again and Kathryn could not help but lean over to Seven and kiss her softly and sweetly.

"Good morning darling, did you sleep well?" Kathryn asked after she had parted ways with Seven Lips.

Seven quickly put her arms around Kathryn and pulled her onto her body and with one swing Kathryn was now under her and Seven sat on her grinning broadly at her. She had watched this maneuver on Root and B'Elanna as well, and did it to them now.

"I slept well, how did you sleep?" She asked cheerfully and leaned over to Kathryn and kissed her gently on the cheek, from there she kissed down to her lips and nibbled on Kathryn's lower lip. Kathryn moaned softly into this kiss, waving her hands over Seven's back. When she arrived at the end of the pajama jacket, she slipped her hands under the bodice and stroked Seven's smooth skin until she hit an implant. For a moment she paused, but then stroked on.

Seven winced, pulling away from Kathryn's lips and sitting up on Kathryn's hips, looking at her in love.

"Did I hurt you?" Kathryn asked quietly, but Seven shook her head.

"No, on the contrary it was very pleasant." She said as she slowly unbuttoned her pajama top and gave Kathryn a bedroom view.

Without much thought, Kathryn Seven helped nimbly open the remaining buttons and then hurriedly pulled the top of Seven's shoulders and upper body.

Seven breasts, which were much smaller than Kathryn had assumed, loomed up in front of her. Magically, she was attracted by these two cheeky breasts, so she carefully put her fingers on them and gently stroked them up to the nipples, which also hardened as Kathryn stroked over them. Seven moaned softly and leaned into the touch of Kathryn and closed her eyes. She enjoyed what Kathryn did with her breasts and she tried to memorize the different sensations as well as possible and analyze them later.

Kathryn rose from her position as best she could. Her arms wrapped around Seven's hip as her lips kissed up to Seven's right breast. Slowly she kissed her nipples and immediately took him in her mouth and stroked her tongue over it and sucked and nibbled on it. Her hand moved from seven hips to seven left breasts and massaged them gently and then a little stronger again.

Seven moans increased and Kathryn admired the sounds she lured out of Seven. She never expected that she would ever lie in bed with Seven and do something like that to her.

Suddenly, however, the alarm sounded loud and Kathryn let herself sink disappointed and frustrated back into the pillows.

"Shit" cursed her and looked at Seven apologetically.

Seven crept down from Kathryn's waist and snuggled close to Kathryn. "It was nice, thanks." She said quietly and Kathryn put her arm around Seven and pulled her closer.

"I'm sorry that the alarm has interrupted us and we have to get ready for work." Kathryn said frustrated and kissed Seven on her forehead.

"Maybe we can continue after work?" Seven asked uncertainly.

"Darling I hope so much that we can do that." Kathryn said before she broke away from Seven and went to the bathroom to prepare for the day's work.

Seven lay on the pillows for a while and sighed longingly thinking about what had just happened. How exciting it was and how wonderful the tingling and touch of Kathryn on her skin had felt.

However, after hearing Kathryn switch the shower on and off again, she also climbed out of bed and headed into the living area. There she first replicated a coffee for Kathryn, which she handed over to her immediately after she stepped into the living area.

"Thank you darling, you are a sweetheart." Kathryn said gratefully and happily.

"What do you eat for breakfast in the morning?" Seven asked after realizing that she had no idea what Kathryn was eating early in the morning.

"Oh, I usually just drink a strong coffee and get a little snack from Neelix later." Kathryn replied, sitting down at her work table and sipping her coffee as she looked through various reports from her work computer the gamma layer came from.

Seven frowned at her and completely disapproved of Kathryn's morning routine. So she went back to the replicator and picked out a suitable breakfast menu for her and replicated it. With that she went to her and gave it to her.

Kathryn looked at her in surprise and was about to protest, but when she saw Seven look at her and make her eyes clear that she would not accept any contradictions, Kathryn ate her breakfast and was given a ravishing smile by Seven as a reward.

After Kathryn had eaten more than half, Seven went to the bathroom to get ready for work.

**Antrie**

As soon as the first sunbeams in the clearing brushed against the hot air balloon and the day dawned, the Antrans carefully approached the hot air balloon. But they still remained at a safe distance.

An antran, however, bravely stepped on the rope holding the hot air balloon to the tree and once pulled it hard.

The wicker basket began to move and B'Elanna woke up from sleep. Amazed, she looked around and took a little while, until she remembered where she was and why she was here.

After the hot-air balloon made another powerful move, she hurriedly slipped out of her sleeping bag and straightened up angrily. She wanted to yell at the one who had caused it when she was terrified and stared down at the Antrans present.

She had to blink several times until she realized what she was seeing in the meadow below. Quickly she knelt down and shook Root awake.

"Root woke up please, we have visitors." She said urgently and Root came slowly to himself. When she opened her eyes, she smiled sleepily at B'Elanna and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"Good morning," she said, and the sooner she woke up, the more she took B'Elanna's serious look. "What's going on?" She asked.

"We have visitors and I do not think he is of the pleasant sort. See for yourself. "B'Elanna challenged her. Root frowned and hurried out of the sleeping bag and straightened up.

As soon as she saw the Horde Antrans standing in the clearing below, her heart beat faster. Quickly she knelt down again, rummaged in her backpack and searched for her heart tablets. B'Elanna looked at her worriedly but then gave her a drinking bottle as soon as Root put a tablet on her tongue. Gratefully she accepted the bottle and washed down the tablet.

"What are we going to do now?" B'Elanna asked quietly and Root tried to breathe slowly in and calm her heart.

"We should cut the rope and run away." Root said, when she had calmed down a bit.

B'Elanna nodded and agreed, as the group down below scared her.

"Okay, can you untie the knot while I turn on the burner and we can go?" Root asked and B'Elanna nodded to her.

But B'Elanna had to straighten up again and step on the balustrade, which she did not like at all. But she had no other choice, so she did what she had to do and straightened up.

As soon as the Antrans saw B'Elanna again, they looked awestruck and silent and looked at them. But when they saw what she was doing, they stirred for the first time and mumbled to themselves. Then one of the group stepped closer and called upstairs.

"We do not want to hurt you, we just want to know why you're so shine? Please answer our questions." asked the Antran and B'Elanna stopped inside and looked at the Antran who had spoken, stunned.

Root also turned to parapet, stepped to B'Elanna and looked down as well.

"Why should we believe you, that you do not harm us? After all, you are here in the clearing and obviously followed us. And you are also in the majority, so there is much to be said against trusting you." Root called reasonably to the Antrans, who had probably taken the lead.

The Antran continued to stare at her, thinking about what Root had said. In any case, Root hoped that he would think about it and they would come to an agreement here.

"We do not want to hurt you. We're here to ask you why you're so shine? We do not want any more." The Antran said again.

"If you do not want to hurt us, why do you look so scary to us as if we were a treat?" B'Elanna shouted back.

The Antran turned to his group in amazement and they mumbled quietly before turning back to the hot-air balloon.

"What's a treat?" He asked uncomprehendingly and B'Elanna sighed heavily.

"Okay, then asked differently, why do you have such sharp sharp-looking teeth, as if you want to eat us?" B'Elanna now asked visibly annoyed.

Root chuckled and B'Elanna looked at her irritated. "What, why are you giggling?" She asked excitedly.

"Oh no, your question just reminded me of the fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood." Root replied and looked amiably at B'Elanna.

"What?" Asked B'Elanna.

Root sighed and explained it to B'Elanna.

"Okay, there's a girl who wanted to visit his grandmother, that's called Little Red Riding Hood, because she always wore a red cap on her head. The grandmother, however, was eaten by the wolf and this had dressed as a grandmother. When Little Red Riding Hood visited the grandma and saw how changed she looked, she asked her grandmother *Grandmother why you have such big eyes?* And the wolf replied *so I can see you better *, Little Red Riding Hood asked again *Grandmother why you have so big ears?* and the wolf replied *so I can hear you better* and Little Red Riding Hood asked again *grandmother why are you so big pointed teeth?* and the wolf answered *so I can eat you better* then he jumped out of bed and ate up the Little Red Riding Hood."

B'Elanna blinked at Root irritably. "Ah, interesting." She said softly.

"Yes exactly. And I thought it was funny, because you really want to know why they have such sharp pointed teeth, if they could and wanted to eat you with it? And what are the chances that they will tell you the truth? After all, they want us to believe that they do not want to harm us. Why would they tell us the truth about their sharp pointed teeth?" Root replied and B'Elanna rolled her eyes annoyed and looked back at the Antrans, who were still standing and staring up at them.

"Okay, forget the question." B'Elanna called down to him and he looked at her in confusion.

Root pushed B'Elanna aside a bit and turned to the Antran.

"Listen, if you do not want to do us any harm, why do not you leave us alone for a while, so that we can be awake and have breakfast first? How about if you come back in an hour and then we can talk about anything you want. Okay?" She asked and the Antran turned to his group and murmured with them softly, before turning back and staring at Root.

"Okay, we'll leave you alone. Should we leave the clearing for so long? Would that prove to you that we do not want hurt to do you?" He exclaimed questioningly.

"Yes, that's a great idea. It would be even better if you all disappear and you return alone in an hour and we only discuss with you what you want to discuss with us?"

The Antran looked around again and discussed it with the other Antrans. There was a loud murmur and B'Elanna and Root could clearly see that not all Antrans were in agreement with Root's suggestion. But the leader or spokesman convinced her and so the Antran group withdrew and left the clearing.

Root and B'Elanna sighed in relief.

Only the speaker of the group remained behind.

"They want me to stay here with you, that's the only way they agreed to go." he called up.

"Okay good. But do not try to fool us, otherwise you'll be sorry." B'Elanna called down heatedly. Root looked admiringly at B'Elanna and muttered to her, "Well bellowed little lion." Before she gave her a peck on the cheek and grabbed the rope attached to the tree.

But instead of tying it up and flying away with the hot air balloon, she took the rope in her hand and pulled it hard so that the hot air balloon was pulled slowly to the ground.

"Why do not we just disappear off?" B'Elanna asked softly.

"Because they keep pursuing us and we made a deal with them. That's why!" Root hissed through her lips, which she pressed hard because pulling the hot air balloon down the rope to earth was definitely harder than expected. "Help me." Press out shortly afterwards.

B'Elanna looked at her with a frown. "Are you sure we should trust them? What if they come running out of the woods and overwhelm us? "She asked skeptically.

"They can do that, but we have their leader in our power until then and if they want to do something to us, we threaten them to harm their leader when they approach us." Root replied quietly and her head was already red before the effort.

B'Elanna thought about it for a moment and was halfway convinced, so she grabbed the rope and pulled it.

"Thanks B'E" Root said, releasing the rope. "Hold on, I need to get something out of my backpack quickly so we can really have something to protect us to a degree." Root said, rummaging around in her backpack until she pulled out the one she was looking for and showed B'Elanna.

B'Elanna turned a little pale, but Root grinned. "That's a good idea." she said appreciatively.

Root tucked her taser into her waistband and grinned evilly at B'Elanna. "I know."


	16. Chapter 16

**Voyager**

"Darling, how about we meet for lunch in my ready room?" Kathryn asked after she had finished her coffee and was now ready to duty of the bridge.

Seven smiled happily at her and nodded her head. "However, before we started our duty, I wanted to ask you something else." Seven said, looking at Kathryn uncertainly.

Kathryn sat down on the couch and knocked next to her and Seven sat down next to her.

"What is it?" Kathryn asked, watching Seven eagerly.

"How do we deal with our relationship status? Public or keep it for us first?" Seven asked quietly and looked at Kathryn curiously.

"I honestly did not think about it. Look, before we kissed yesterday, I never thought I would ever be able to relate to you. And now that it has happened, I have not had time to think about it yet. How would you like it?"

"I would like to keep it secret." Seven confessed quietly and Kathryn looked at her in surprise.

"Why?" Kathryn wondered.

"I do not want the crew members treating you badly just because I'm your girlfriend. Surely there will be many who are against a relationship between you and me. And maybe there are crew members who do not want to follow your orders because they think you've made a wrong decision." Seven responded sincerely and Kathryn looked at her with emotion.

"Thank you, darling, for caring for my reputation. But I think, just because I'm the captain, does not mean that the crew has a say in who I'm in a relationship with. And how do you expect that many may object and even refuse my orders?" Kathryn asked more closely.

Seven shifted uncomfortably on the couch and looked at her hands, which she had placed on her lap.

"There are crew members who still see me as a Borg drone, who dislike me and talk bad about me behind my back. I do not want the same crewmembers to talk bad about you just because you're with me now." said Seven dejected.

Kathryn sighed deeply and thought about this news. "Why did not you ever tell me there are crew members who treat you badly?" Kathryn asked, frowning.

"What would it have changed to tell you?" Asked Seven.

"Well, I could have talked with the crewmembers and ordered them to treat you decently." Kathryn replied gravely.

Seven smiled gently at her and stroked Kathryn's cheek. "You know yourself that that would not have solved the problem, but made it worse. Or?" She asked softly.

Kathryn blinked at Seven, thinking about it. "Maybe, but I'm the captain and I'm not allowed to let a crewmember get bad treatment from other crewmembers. Me or Chakotay, we need to know something, so that we can take effective action against it. Please promise to let me know if someone else treats you badly." asked Kathryn Seven and Seven nodded their heads, but did not really believe that was the correct course of action.

"Our duty was started" said Seven, and Kathryn grinned at her broadly.

"Before we leave, I want a kiss from you." She demanded and Seven leaned over and gave her a sweet kiss. Kathryn sighed softly as Seven parted from her again and already went to the quarter door. Kathryn quickly caught her arm and pulled Seven back into her arms.

"Please one more." asked Kathryn looked at Seven eagerly.

Seven smiled at her and gave her another kiss, but not like Kathryn hoped for her lips but for her cheek. After that, Seven smiled mischievously at her.

"The captain will not be pleased if we start our duty too late." Seven said seriously.

Kathryn sighed deeply and nodded her head. "You're right, the captain is pretty strict. I wish you a nice working day and I am looking forward to the lunch together. See you later, darling." Kathryn said and quickly stole another little kiss from Seven, simply putting her lips on Seven Lips and breathing a kiss on it.

**Antrie**

"What's your name?" Asked Root, sitting next to the Antrans in the tall grass and looking closely at the surroundings.

When she had climbed out of the hot-air balloon with B'Elanna, they had lined up with the Antran and showed him their taser and made it clear that he should not be nonsensical if he did not want to get hurt. The Antran had quietly nodded his head and looked fascinated the two women.

Both Root and B'Elanna found his constant stare more than annoying. Both had agreed that they would wash one after the other at the stream and get ready for the day, while the other stayed with the Antran to keep an eye on him.

So after Root had washed her face quickly and then brushed her teeth, she had replaced B'Elanna with the watch.

"Treena" the Antran said, continuing to stare alternately at Root and B'Elanna, who made themselves fresh at the creek about fifty yards away.

"I'm Root and that's B'E over there. So we shine. B'E and I do not know that we shine. So please describe it, maybe we can work together to find out why we shine for you, but do not know it ourselves." Root demanded and looked at Treena closely.

For his part, Treena looked at Root stunned. "You do not know that you are shining? How can that be?" He asked in astonishment.

"Dunno" admitted Root and looked over to B'Elanna, who had just taken off her pants and now washed her legs with the cold water.

"In moment you do not shine. As soon as you part, you stop shine. When B'E returns, you will shine again. Where is the third female? It has most of all shone on you. It was almost that you could see them only dimly by the luminosity as a person, so much has shone the shining." said Treena.

"You mean Seven, she's beamed back to our spaceship. So we only shine when we are together? Describe the glow, is it a bright light or is it dark or colorful? Does it stay the same or does it change?" Asked Root curiously.

"Your shine is like the rainbow, many colors and it changes a little every now and then. B'E lights up more red, orange and yellow, the third female, Seven, shines in yellow and pink." Explained Treena and suddenly it clicked into Roots head.

"Treena, I think I know what you mean." Root said excitedly and turned to the Antran, completely oblivious to the area.

"You mean our aura. Have you ever heard of this term?" Root asked curiously.

But Treena shook her head. "No, what is an aura? And why Antrans do not shine?" He asked them eagerly.

"The aura is a concept of esotericism and describes a color spectrum that surrounds the body like a cloud. This colorful energy field provides information about the character of a person, other colors can reflect current moods and emotions. Why the Antrans can see our aura and we can not, I do not know. I also do not know why we stop shine when we're apart." Root sighed and watched the surroundings again.

"I want to shine as well. Before I saw you, II had no goals and no wishes in my life. I was consistent like every Antran, I was wishless and aimless. I did what was expected of me and lived my life. But since I've seen your aura, I also want to have an aura. I have to find out how you got it and how to get it. Want to help me with that?" Treena asked shyly.

Root looked regretfully at Treena. "I do not know how I can help you and whether we will stay here long enough on your planet to solve the puzzle. But maybe I can help you a little bit. Tell me about your life, your culture, your planet."

"Where should I start?" Treena asked helplessly.

"How about in the beginning?" Said Root, giving him an encouraging smile.

"We Antrans hatch from an egg, we live three months in a hatching colony and grow up in this time to an adult Antraner. After hatching, it is determined in which area we will be used for work later. During this time we learn everything we need to know in order to be able to take up and carry out our work. After we leave the hatching colony, every Antraner gets an accommodation and a designated job. Our life consists of working, sleeping and eating. There's nothing more." Treena said dispassionately, as if reading from a book.

Root, however, looked at him confused. "I was in a city the day before yesterday, there were many casinos there. And that did not look as if Antrans were just working, sleeping and eating. Explain that to me." Root demanded and looked directly at Treena from the side.

"That was Neledas. Antrans who work exemplary and thus stand out from the crowd, get a special bonus. You can visit Neledas and get to know another way of life for a few hours. The Antrans who work in Neledas are the elite, they have a more diversified life than we are ordinary Antrans. Then there are the chosen ones, they are the rulers of our planet. They make the laws and make sure they are respected. Many Antrans live in the big cities, there are only a few Antrans living in the countryside. These Antrans we call the renegades, who do not want to subjugate the system or who can not be classified. There are rumors that they live differently than we do in the city. Ordinary Antrans never leave the city or the place where they were hired after the hatching colony and ordered to work. Our lifespan is 10 years." Treena quietly concluded his narrative.

Root looked thoughtfully at the clearing, at the other Antrans, who held each other back and obviously expected the return of Treena to finally find out more.

"You left town and followed us. Do not you get any trouble if you do not do your job?" Root asked worriedly. The story of Antrie and the Antran's way of life had saddened her.

"We saw you shine and our life suddenly started to make sense. We wanted to know why you are shine. The question drove us and we left the city and followed your trail that you left behind. The desire to shine in us also grew and we decided to leave the life we knew so far behind. We want more than just working, sleeping and eating. That's why we're here. The punishment we have left the city and our workplace is likely to be death or we will become apostates and have to live in the countryside." Treena suddenly said with a passion that Root had never expected him to do.

"What about your family, your wife, your children? Will they miss you and look for you?" Asked B'Elanna, who had heard the rest of Treena's story.

Treena looked at B'Elanna in astonishment and again took in the pleasant shine of Root and B'E.

"What is a family and what are children?" Treena asked curiously and B'Elanna looked at him in surprise.

"You do not know that? Are not you serious?" She asked in disbelief and sat down next to Root in the grass and took out of her backpack a Notrationsriegel and devoured him hungry.

Treena looked at her anxiously, but Root laughed.

"B'E, you scare Treena when you devour your snack so much." B'Elanna grinned at Root with a big grin and continued chewing on her bar.

"I'm hungry." She said apologetically with her mouth full. Root pulled B'Elanna to him and kissed her cheek lightly. "I'll do you something soon, please wait a moment." Then she turned back to Treena.

"A family is the people you share your life with, you eat, sleep and spend your free time together. When a woman and a man come together, fall in love and connect with each other, it becomes a child. Both the man and the woman are responsible for this child. That will give you a nuclear family." Root explained it to Treena as simply as possible.

"Antrans have no family and no children. We hatch eggs and workers take care of us in the first three months. After that we live alone. The highest life goal is to lay an egg. But even this is only intended for a certain group of Antrans." Treena again dispassionately told.

"Wow, what a life." B'Elanna said sarcastically.

Root looked thoughtfully over the clearing and sank into thought. B'Elanna looked at her, but decided to leave her alone and prepare the food she promised herself.

Treena, on the other hand, looked alternately at B'Elanna and Root, enjoying the shine or the aura Root had called it, which emanated from the two women. Roots aura had just changed a bit and Treena wondered why.

B'Elanna, on the other hand, grabbed an emergency menu from Seven's backpack and started to eat it.


	17. Chapter 17

**Antrie**

When Root sat silently in the grass for a while and pondered, she stirred again.

"Treena, I still have some questions for you, maybe I can help you if I know more about you." She said to Treena and both Treena and B'Elanna, who were sitting next to Root and all the time the surroundings had watched attentively, they looked at curiously.

"What do you want to know?" Treena asked.

"First of all, you have left your city and your work. Will they search for you or are you automatically renegades now?"

Treena thought about it for a while. "I dont know. I have never left the city and my work. But I've heard rumors that when you return you're doomed to death." He confessed honestly.

"So if you stay out here looking for a place where you can live, then you will not be persecuted but left alone?"

"I dont know. It would be possible." Treena said uncertainly. He only now realized that he can never return to his old life.

"Okay, has your society always been the way it is today or was there another life on Antrie?"

"I dont know. There is little that is said or explained to us simple Antrans. And so far, I've never thought about it. I did what I was told and nothing more." Treena replied.

"How old are you and why are you only living 10 years?" Root asked.

"I am 3 years old and we only turn 10 years old because we will be delivered to the processing factory as soon as we are 10 years old. That is where our life ends."

B'Elanna and Root looked at Treena stunned.

"What? Are not you serious?" B'Elanna asked sharply. But Treena nodded his head.

Treena looked down at the floor embarrassed and murmured very softly. "To your question from earlier on, we Antrans have sharp pointed teeth because we process and eat other Antrans who turn 10 years old. These Antrans are sacrificed to the people. This will ensure that there is no overpopulation." Treena said and Root stared at him stunned and immediately moved away from him and held her taser on him.

"Do you would eat us?" Root asked uncertainly.

"No, I told you, we do not want to hurt you." Treena replied, looking a little offended.

"How could you eat your conspecifics or live with the knowledge that you will soon have the food for your conspecifics?" B'Elanna asked in disgust.

"We grew up that way, we do not know another life." Treena said neutrally.

"Okay good. Back to the 10 years, so if you stay out here and do not go back to town, you might be over 10 years old?" Asked Root.

"This possibility exists. However, if we stay here on the land, we will die even earlier, because we have no way to feed ourselves. The food is only available in the city." Treena said seriously.

"That's nonsense, you can survive anywhere. And especially here in the country, there are plenty of ways to get food." B'Elanna replied and looked at Treena seriously.

"How?" He asked curiously.

"You could learn to hunt and kill animals and eat them. Or you go fishing and catch fish. You could also farm the land and plant crops, or you could feed on plants. There are so many possibilities. How did the other renegades survive? Yesterday we came through small places, there were also people or Root?" Asked B'Elanna.

"Yes, you could join these people and see how they feed themselves and how they live." Root said enthusiastically, feeling guilty now that Treena and his group could not return to the city because of her.

Treena silently looked at Root and B'Elanna and considered this possibility.

"Can I ask you a question now?"

"Hm ... do it." B'Elanna said curiously.

"When you devoured your food earlier, Root put her face to your face and did something to you. There" Treena pointed with his bony hand to B'Elanna's heart "it suddenly started to throb very fast and a wave of light flowed through your body. It was similar at Root. What did you do that happens?" Treena asked, looking at both women intently.

"You can look inside us?" B'Elanna asked stunned, blushing slightly.

"Yes I can. What did you do and why did that start to kick so fast?" Repeated Treena his question impatiently.

"So that" Root pointed to B'Elanna's heart "is a heart. And I just gave B'E a kiss on the cheek. That made her heart throb faster." Root explained and grinned at B'Elanna.

"A kiss? Why did you give her a kiss? What was the purpose?" Treena asked.

B'Elanna rolled her eyes and Root sighed heavily before answering.

"I did that to make B'E feel better and because I'm her friend." Root explained, but Treena did not understand what Root had told him.

"How does it feel to feel better and what is a friend?" He continued.

Before Root could answer, Treena continued. "I also want a kiss, please do that with me too. I want to feel better and know what that feels like!" He demanded bravely and B'Elanna and Root looked at him with open mouths.

B'Elanna first found her language again. "No way, forget it. You can ask anything you want, but you will not get that." She said seriously, looking from Treena to Root.

But Root disagreed and leaned toward Treena and gave him a peck on his cheek.

B'Elanna scowled at her and shook her head in disbelief. She felt betrayed. How could Root kiss that ugly guy they knew just an hour or two? Furious, she got up and ran across the clearing, cursing wildly Klingon.

Root looked at her in surprise, but remained seated and looked at Treena.

Treena's head whirred and his eyes started to widen. Something happened in his body and he tried to find out what it was. But in the knowledge was missing, so he could name it neither mentally nor verbally.

"How are you feeling now?" Root asked eagerly.

"Strangely, I can not say exactly how I feel. A warmth spread to my body for a short time and I have a desire to relive that feeling again." Treena said honestly, but Root slip away from him a bit.

"Sorry, but I can not give you more kisses. See B'E does not like me kissing you and I like B'E very much and do not want she to feel bad because I kiss you. Okay?" Root asked carefully.

"I understand." Treena said disappointed. "Please tell me what is a friend. Why does B'E feel bad when you kiss me?"

"A friend is a person with whom one likes to spend time and feels comfortable in his or her company. You feel very close to this person and you trust her a lot. You talk about everything that is important or unimportant, you laugh and cry together, you help each other and you are there for each other, whether in good times or in bad times. And you only wish that person the best and never want to hurt her. But sometimes it happens, as it does with B'E and me, and it makes you feel bad. And so you try to make amends by going to her and giving her a kiss on the cheek and apologize."

Root got up and looked at Treena again. "I have to apologize to B'E, I'll be right back." she said, walking in the direction B'Elanna had run.

Root ran in the direction in which B'Elanna had disappeared and hoped to find her soon.

***********************

"B'E, where are you? Please answer me." Root called more and more desperate. She really did not want to get lost in these woods. Completely annoyed and tired she let herself fall to a tree trunk after half an hour of searching.

Root pulled her knees up to her torso and put her arms around her and her head on top of it.

"B'E, where are you?" She murmured softly.

B'Elanna had heard Root calling for her, but she was so angry with her that she did not dare meet her for fear of doing something stupid. But now that Root had stopped calling, B'Elanna was very worried. Her anger was smoky and instead she started to worry. So she headed in the direction she had heard Roots voice the last time. After a while she finally found her at a tree. Glad to have finally found her, she ran quickly to her and knelt down to herself.

"Root?" She asked softly.

Root opened her eyes and blinked at B'Elanna. Then she released her knees and pulled B'Elanna into her arms, hugging her tightly. B'Elanna did the same and pulled Root close.

Both women held each other for a long time and each was glad that they had found each other again.

"Are you alright?" B'Elanna asked after a while.

"Yeah, now that you're here with me, I'm fine." Root answered smiling softly at B'Elanna.

"I'm sorry I ran away, but I needed time for myself." B'Elanna apologized sheepishly.

"No, you do not have to apologize. I made a mistake and got you angry. I'm so sorry. But look, I do what I want and that's not always what maybe you or someone else wants. And if it makes you angry, okay I can live with that. But I can not live with not being able to find you. But hey, my problem is not yours." Root replied, getting up on the forest floor and getting up.

"Can we go back?" She asked B'Elanna and B'Elanna nodded her head.

As they walked back, each of the two women was silent and lost in thought. B'Elanna thought about what Root had said to her and Root thought about what needs to be done next.

When finally arrived at the clearing, this was empty. Treena was nowhere to be seen and his group was not where it was before.

B'Elanna and Root looked at each other in surprise, then shrugged their shoulders and headed for the hot air balloon.

"What are we going to do next?" B'Elanna asked.

"We should make our way to the East Coast and wait there in the base camp, the Voyager returns. I think I know what Treena means with the shine. I think the Antrans can see our aura. However, Treena said earlier that we stop shine when we are separated. Strange, right?" Root asked in thought.

"I find it more strange that he and his people are just gone and that they are cannibals. I'm worried that they want to eat us. Although they do not have much to eat with you." B'Elanna said cheekily, Root taking a punch on her side.

"Ouch, that hurt. For being so skinny, you have a pretty good punch on it." B'Elanna replied and winked at Root.

"That should hurt too, because you're such a naughty brat. I think Treena and his people are very close here. They are not gone, but Treena still had too many questions and remember they can not go back to town. They need our help. They do not just go away like that. Trust me, Treena will turn up soon."

"Let's get rid of the hot air balloon and disable the holoprojector." Root said and went to the air balloon, which was attached to the bottom of the floor. Then she elegantly climbed in and deactivated the sleeping bags and gathered all the other things that lay around.

B'Elanna then took it from her and put the backpacks in the grass. Shortly after Root had cleared and deactivated the hot air balloon, they saw Treena running wildly towards her.

"Come, I need your help. They want to eat him. Please come." He screamed from afar and Root and B'Elanna looked at him in surprise. Root quickly pocketed her holoprojectors and shouldered her backpack. B'Elanna did the same and took Seven's backpack in her hands.

"Please come, they want to eat him, they are hungry and he hurt himself. Please help me." asked Treena the two women as he arrived out of breath.

"What's going on?" B'Elanna asked calmly.

"Please come." Treena said again, pulling on Roots arm. "The others want to eat him, please, we have to prevent that and hurry."

Root stopped and shook her arm away from Treena.

"If we are to help you, then we should arm ourselves first. Give me a moment." asked Root took out a handful of data chips from her jacket pocket and studied them closely. Then she took one and slid it into the holoprojector and activated it. Immediately, a dangerous-looking weapon appeared in her hand that startled even B'Elanna for a moment.

"Do not worry, she looks more dangerous than she is. I promise." Assured Root B'Elanna and smiled gently at her.

Then they ran after Treena.


	18. Chapter 18

**Antrie**

When Root and B'Elanna arrived at the Antrans, the group was already divided into three camps. Root quickly got a rough overview to better assess the situation.

One group was larger and consisted of about twenty to twenty-five Antrans, who talked excitedly about a small group of about ten Antrans. Another group of five Antrans squatted with an Antran who was leaning against a tree and groaning in pain.

Treena stepped between the two groups, who were talking excitedly. But when all the Antrans noticed Root and B'Elanna, they were suddenly completely silent.

Root kept her weapon well visible to everyone and made it clear that she would use it if necessary.

"What's going on here?" She asked clearly.

Treena stepped back to her side.

"The Antran dropped off the tree and injured himself. He is thus doomed to death. This group demands his death so they can eat it and satisfy their hunger. And this group and I, we agree that we are not allowed to do this. No one is allowed to kill another Antran, only in the processing plant can this be done." Treena explained upset.

All Antrans now alternately looked at Root and B'Elanna and expected from the two now a decision on how it should go on.

Root wondered why this was left to them and the group could not decide for themselves. She looked at B'Elanna and saw that she also felt uncomfortable in this new situation.

"What, you want us to decide, why?" She asked in the round.

"You are the ones who shine, you are the ones we are here for. You are ..." Before Treena could continue talking, Root raised her hand and silenced him.

"Fine. I got it. So no matter what we do, B'E and I decide you will accept this decision?" Root asked and all Antrans nodded their heads.

"Okay good. Then let me see if the one who fell from the tree is really doomed to death." She said and handed B'Elanna her weapon.

"Root, I do not know how to use them." B'Elanna quietly whispered to her and looked at her worriedly.

"Do not worry little tiger, you just have to look like you know it. Just have a good show, I'll be right back with you." She said and then went with Treena over to the tree where the injured Antran was sitting and moaning in pain.

B'Elanna watched her and Treena and sighed deeply. Then she pointed the gun at the group and scowled.

"What's your name?" Asked Root as she squatted next to the Antran.

"Breenara" he answered in pain, grimacing.

"Hi, I'm Root, please tell me where it hurts."

Breenara pointed to his arm and Root leaned forward. "May I?" She asked and as Breenara nodded, she took his arm in her hand. He groaned even louder with pain.

Root tried as carefully as possible to look at the arm and turn. But she quickly realized that she could not move him without causing Breenara even more pain.

"I think your arm is broken. No worries, that's no reason to be condemned to death. We just have to go to the next doctor and he can heal you again." Root said, trying to calm the Antran. But he looked at her uncomprehendingly.

"What is a doctor?" He asked and Root looked at him blankly.

"This is a person who makes sick people healthy. Do you have anything like this on Antrie?" Asked Root.

"No, such people do not exist here. Sick Antrans will be taken to the processing plant and sacrificed there to the people." Explained Treena, who had been standing next to Root.

Root took turns watching Treena and Breenara in disbelief.

"But why?" She asked stunned. "Breenara has only one broken arm, why should he be sacrificed immediately and sentenced to death? Broken arms heal again and you are healthy again." Root asked.

"We do not know why sick Antrans are not cured, we only know who gets sick, is taken to the processing plant and is sacrificed." Treena replied again.

Root sighed deeply and could not imagine how a society could function that had such measures for such situations. Why did the Antrans like this? Why did not they call for a better life for themselves? Why did they just assume that their lives ended after 10 years and they were processed into food for their people? What was wrong with Antrie?

"Breenara listen, I would like to help you and take away the pain you are feeling. But before I can do that, I have to hurt you a lot before it can get better. Do you allow me to help you?" Root gently asked the Antran.

Breenara looked anxiously at Root, he wanted to stop the pain and he did not want to end up as food for the other Antrans in the group, but the fact that he would have to endure more pain before that made him very scared.

Root gently stroked his cheek and smiled at him. "It will hurt, but after that it will be better. I promise you that. When I was a kid, I fell as well and broke my arm. My mother took me to the doctor and he straightened my arm and it hurt a lot and I cried. But see, I survived it and if I could, you can too. Can I help you now or do you want to continue experiencing this pain or even serve it as food for others?" Root asked more insistently.

Breenara shook his head. "No, I want to live and shine, just like you. I want the pain to stop. Please help me." He said with a pained face.

"Okay, good decision. Treena please looking for me for a long, a straight a possible and about as thick horse mackerel or branches." Root showed what she wanted exactly and Treena immediately ran into the forest and searched what Root wanted.

Root looked around and then pointed to an Antran who sat nearby watching everything closely.

"Hey you, come here, please." Root demanded. Immediately he got up and came running over.

"What's your name?" Asked Root kindly and the Antran looked at her curiously.

"Keenara" said he and Root grinned at him.

"My God, your names are almost all the same. Who gives you the names?" She asked, without really wanting the answer.

But Keenara still responded nicely. "The workers in the hatching colony." he said eagerly. "How can I help you?"

"You have to hold on to Breenara while I'm straightening his broken bone." Root said.

But Keenara looked at her stunned. "We never touch other Antrans." He said, looking disgusted.

Root sighed heavily, rolling her eyes as Breenara groaned in pain beside her.

"Look, I'm touching he and it's okay. If I can do that, then you can do that too. Come on, it's okay and nothing bad will happen to you. Promise." Trying to persuade Root Keenara. He thought for a moment and then nodded his head.

"Great, then sit down behind Breenara, put your arms around his chest and hold him as tight as possible. Can you do that for me?" Root asked softly.

Keenara did exactly what Root had told him to do, and as soon as he put his arms around Breenara and held him tight, Root took Breenara's broken arm in her hands and with a huge jerk pulled it away. Breenara cried out in pain and Keenara struggled to hold him.

All Antrans had watched with curiosity and now mumbled excitedly to themselves.

After a brief moment in which Breenara turned white, he fainted. He sagged and the mumbling of the other Antrans grew louder. Keenara looked at Root helplessly, but she smiled at him.

"He's fine, he's just themselves. You can let go of it now. Wait, I'll help you." Root said and looked at Keenara, who was relieved.

Root held on to Breenara while Keenara got up. "Thank you for your help." Root said and Keenara nodded to her and walked back to where he had previously sat.

Meanwhile, Treena had returned with the branches to which Root had asked him.

"Treena I need something to tie her down with. Can you tear a strip of fabric from your clothes?" She asked, and Treena immediately exclaimed, without asking or thinking about it, a long strip of cloth, from his clothes, and then gave it to Root. Root smiled gratefully at him and Treena spread a pleasant warmth. He looked at Root in surprise.

Root, on the other hand, had put the branches on Breenara's broken arm and tied the strip of fabric neatly around it. It suited her quite well that Breenara had just fainted and she could connect as undisturbed arm.

After she finished her work, she straightened up and went to B'Elanna.

"Okay, it's not ideal, but it should be enough for us to get to base camp and heal the arm with a bone regenerator. How is it going?"

"Everyone is a little restless but your weapon scares them so they behave." B'Elanna replied.

"Good." Root said and then turned to the group Antraner.

"Please listen to me! Breenara has a broken arm, he will survive his injury. Therefore, he is not sacrificed. And as long as I'm here, I'll disagree with anyone who disagrees with my weapon here." Root grabbed B'Elanna's weapon and swung it from left to right and back again. The Antrans who stood in front of her retreated a bit.

"We're hungry, what should we eat now?" Someone called questioningly into the silence that had spread.

Root and B'Elanna looked at each other helplessly before Root answered.

"Breenara is definitely not eaten. So here is an announcement, to all those who are hungry and think Breenara would be a tasty snack, those should go now and never return." Called Root in the round.

The Antrans began to mumble loudly and the murmur sounded more than annoyed.

"And what are we going to do about our hunger?" Someone else asked.

Root sighed annoyed. Antrans were really annoying creatures, so completely helpless, haphazard and so dependent.

"We could see if there are animals in the woods that we can hunt and eat afterwards. Or we look for plants or berries that you can eat. Or you go back to town to do your work." Root said cheerfully. The Antrans in front of her withdrew a little and murmured excitedly.

Meanwhile, Breenara had awakened from his powerlessness and had listened quietly and gratefully smiled at Root as she looked at him.

After the larger group of Antrans murmured for quite a while, they turned back to Root, B'Elanna, and the small group of Antrans who had been on Breenara's side.

"We decided to go back to the city. We will report to you about the authorities and you are to blame for leaving the city and we will ask you to be reintegrated into the community. We agree that this is the best way to survive." said the Antran, who had now clearly become the spokesman for the larger group.

Root and B'Elanna looked at each other for a moment, but actually they did not care what the Antrans did or did not do, unless they decided to eat them, they were all right.

"Okay, we wish you good luck." Root just said.

Root and B'Elanna went back to the tree where Breenara was sitting.

"How are you?" Root asked, squatting in front of him.

"Better, thanks." He said and Root gave him a friendly smile.

"Great" she said and got up again, looking for her backpack, which she had previously parked somewhere. When they found him, she shouldered him and then helped B'Elanna with her backpack.

Treena, Breenara, Keenara, and about ten other Antrans looked at her eagerly and also gathered the few they had with them.

"What now?" Treena asked Root and Root looked at him seriously and sighed deeply.

"B'E and I want to go east to the sea. Since we have a base camp, Breenara should come along because he could get proper medical care there. What you do others, you have to decide." Root said softly.

"You wanted to show us how we can hunt animals, fish and find food. And we still want to know how we can shine as you do. Will you help us?" Treena asked for help.

Root and B'Elanna looked at each other for a moment, and Root, still feeling guilty because she was responsible for the fact that Treena and the other Antrans had left her town because of her, nodded. B'Elanna sighed heavily and rolled her eyes, then nodded as well.

Treena smiled happily at her. And all the other entrants murmured excitedly.

"Okay, but if we should help you, should we set some rules here, okay?" Root asked in the round and all remaining Antrans nodded their heads, curiously waiting to see what the rules were.

"The first rule, and that's the most important rule, is that no one wants to eat another one of this group here, no matter how hungry we are. The second rule is, no one in the group will deliberately hurt anyone else in the group." Root explained, scratching his head and wondering what rules should be in place.

After she did not think so far, she explained "So I think two rules should be enough first. B'E and I, we do not know how long we will be on your planet and how far we can help you. Therefore, it would be good if you become more independent and learn to help yourself. Okay?" Root asked in the round and all Antrans nodded to her again.

"Fine, okay. B'E you have a tricorder, can you scan the forest for animals that we can hunt?" Asked Root and B'Elanna took her tricorder out of her trouser pocket.

"Yes, I'll see." She said and walked a little way into the grove. Root, on the other hand, unbuckled her backpack and set it down on a tree trunk.

"If we hunt something to eat, then we need a campfire to fry it. So we should start looking for firewood. Who's coming and helping me?" She asked, and Keenara and Treena were immediately at her side, as well as two other Antrans whom Root did not know by name yet.

"So far, we have only eaten raw food." Treena explained before they set out to find firewood.

Root stopped and looked at him in horror.

"I was able to scan some small animals in the grove, so lunch is saved. What's going on?" B'Elanna asked as she took a closer look at Root.

"Treena just said they eat their food raw." confessed Root and B'Elanna did not quite understand where the problem lay.

"Klingons sometimes even eat their food alive." she replied, and Root looked at B'Elanna in disgust.

"Do you have a problem with that?" B'Elanna asked and Root shook her head.

"No, not at all." Root said sheepishly. "We should set up traps and catch the animals." She decided to distract from topic.

"Okay, so I need some of you to help me with building the traps." B'Elanna said in the round. After several Antrans had reported building for the traps, they started with B'Elanna and sought out what they needed for it. Meanwhile, Root sat next to Breenara in the tall grass, leaned against a tree trunk and closed her eyes. Shortly thereafter, she was exhausted in the face of the events of this morning, asleep.

Breenara looked at her and moved closer to her. He still had pain, but these were much less than the pain he had in the beginning. He was very grateful to Root and he had a strange feeling for her. For the first time in his short life, when he was only 7 months old, there had been someone who had touched and helped him. She had smiled at him and calmed him when he was in great pain. He did not know what it was, but it was a pleasant feeling, what he felt for Root at once. Carefully, he put his hand on her shoulders and stroked it. Root slid her head down into his lap as she slept, and he gently stroked her head. It felt good and he decided he wanted to be close to Root forever. He was also very grateful to Keenara. Keenara had held him when the pain was at its greatest. he would always be guilty of Keenaras for that, but he would pay for that debt as best he could.  
Breenara felt very comfortable right now, even though he was still in pain.


	19. Chapter 19

**Voyager**

Kathryn had quickly realized that it was not a good day today to sit quietly on the bridge in her captain's chair. Her thoughts were constantly wandering back to the previous night. She had slept well, as good as she had not done in a long time. And today was as rested as it has been for 6 years.

The reason for that came to her constantly in thought. Seven. Seven, the young woman she had been in love with for a long time. Seven, who also loved her and wanted to spend her time with her. No, more than that, Seven who would like to have a relationship with her.

Seven, Seven and Seven again. Seven, who gave her a soft smile, Seven twisting her head. Seven who moaned deeply as Kathryn pulled her nipple into her mouth and nibbled and sucked on it. Seven, who smelled so good and Seven who had prepared her breakfast. She could not wait to see Seven again. She had only 3 hours ago separated on the turbolift. Kathryn sighed deeply in love.

Chakotay, who was sitting next to her, looked at her curiously.

"Captain?" He asked and Kathryn looked at him in surprise.

"Yes?" She asked.

"You just sighed deeply, are not you feeling well or are you hurting a bit?" Chakotay asked worriedly.

"No, no, everything is okay with me. I think I'll go into my ready room and go over a little the personal files. You have the bridge." Kathryn said and left the bridge in a hurry.

Chakotay looked after her and grinned widely. Of course, he noticed this morning how well-tempered and well-rested the captain had entered the bridge. And he had his own thoughts about it. He wondered what had changed since yesterday. Yesterday, the captain had been miserable and sad in their ready room and had refused to give him the reasons for it.

And today she was completely changed.

********************

In her ready room, Kathryn sat down at her desk first and logged into her work computer. There she called up the personnel files of all crew members and tried to find out which crew member had the most potential to treat Seven badly. But she did not get on like that.

She knew that B'Elanna and Seven had often clashed since Seven was on Voyager. But Seven and B'Elanna seemed to have settled their differences. After all, Seven had told her yesterday that B'Elanna had claimed her.

Kathryn then called up Voyager's database and read through the data describing Klingon rituals. The more she read, the bigger her eyes became.  
Jesus, as far as she understood, she really had to beat her as soon as B'Elanna was back on Voyager and claim Seven as her lover, her life partner.  
Kathryn imagined how this fight would look like and she became queasy at the same time.

Kathryn kept reading for a while, so she did not notice how the morning passed. Only when her door buzzer sounded, she looked up in surprise and shouted "Come in."

As Seven stepped elegantly into her ready room, Kathryn smiled broadly at her. Quickly she got up from her desk and went to meet Seven and pulled her into her arms.

Seven put her arms around her as well and kissed Kathryn gently, before pulling herself out of her arms and smiling happily at Kathryn.

"Hello darling, I missed you. How are you and how is the work going?" Kathryn asked as she went to the replicator and ordered two lunch menus.

"I'm fine and the repairs are running, according to the effectiveness of the crew sufficient. The absence of Lt. Torres seems to be causing some crewmembers to straighten their concentration and stamina to grind." Seven replied sadly and took Kathryn's two lunch menus off her hand and brought them to the coffee table and sat comfortably on the couch.

"In addition, my new outward appearance seems to lead some crewmembers to want to talk extensively about these changes with me and know what made me do it. The efficiency suffers." Seven said with a sigh.

Kathryn, on the other hand, came to Seven with two glasses of water, grinning broadly, and handed her a glass.

"The crew will probably find your new hairstyle just as gorgeous as I am and in your new clothes you look very different and beautiful." Kathryn replied, leaning over to Seven and kissing her on the cheek.

Seven raised her eyebrow slightly skeptically and looked at Kathryn.

"That may be, but the repairs that need to be done are more important than talking about how I changed my hairstyle." Seven said seriously.

"Darling, that's right, but look, the crew is very curious and as soon as they know why you did it, the sooner they can get back to their jobs. What bothers you exactly?" Kathryn asked softly as she put her food on the fork and shoved it into her mouth.

Seven shifted uncomfortably on the couch and looked at her food. "I do not like paying too much attention to me and my looks." she said softly.

Kathryn put her hand on Seven's shoulder and rubbed lightly over it. "I know, but consider it a compliment that the crew has perceived your new outward appearance, finds it good and they would like to know more about it. OK?"

Seven nodded and looked at Kathryn smiling.

"Well, come now and let us eat."

********************

After Kathryn and Seven had finished their lunch menu and Kathryn had recycled the plates, she sat back on the couch very close to Seven.

"Honey, you were very quiet during the meal. Is there more that keeps you busy?" Kathryn asked softly.

"I'm worried about Root and B'Elanna. The Ion storm is still very close to Antrie, so we have to wait until we can go back." Seven said softly.

"Why are you worried about the two? Is it because the Antrans stared at you so strangely and approached you?" Kathryn asked more closely.

"No, that's not all alone." Seven answered quietly but did not continue.

"Please tell me what it is, what worries you." asked Kathryn.

"I can not, it's personal and I do not want to hurt Roots trust." confessed Seven.

"I understand." Kathryn said. "Is it because of what your Root should bring, what could not wait? And what worries the doctor too?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Okay, then you should really keep it to yourself. But I would like to take your worries and also that you are fine. How can I help you?" Kathryn asked softly.

"You could order the Ionian to go elsewhere, so we can go back to Antrie." Seven replied gravely, and Kathryn looked at her in surprise.

"Darling, I ..." Before Kathryn could go on, Seven winked at her.

"I was joking, I'm aware that you can not issue an ion storm. Kiss me, that would make me feel better." Said Seven and Kathryn stormily took her in her arms and kissed her gently, tenderly and devotedly.

Both women were so engrossed in this kiss that they did not hear the door buzzer humming at the door several times, begging someone to enter. It was not until Chakotay contacted Kathryn directly through his communicator that both women got it. Quickly she broke up and sat down before Kathryn called in.

Chakotay came into the ready room and looked in wonder that Seven was present. Since Seven had used the back door when she came earlier, no one on the bridge had heard they were present.

Chakotay clears his throat and looks at both women curiously. Kathryn's hair was a bit disheveled and Seven's face was red.

"Chakotay, what is?" Kathryn asked before Chakotay could make any hints.

"Captain, I was not aware that you already have visitors. I just wanted to ask you if you would accompany me for lunch." Chakotay said smiling happily at Kathryn and Seven.

"I'm sorry, I have to get back to work." Seven apologized quickly and left the ready room the same way she had come.

Kathryn looked at her disappointed as she could not kiss Seven goodbye again.

Chakotay also watched Seven and was still wondering about the new change the young woman had made in recent days. She looked, in his opinion, now much more human and friendly.

"I'm sorry, Chakotay, I already had lunch with Seven while she told me about her day on Antrie." Kathryn said, tearing Chakotay out of his own mind.

"Did she also tell you why she changed so much outwardly? I'm really curious what's behind it." Chakotay said sitting down next to Kathryn on the couch.

"No, we did not come that far. I will ask her again on occasion. Maybe I'll tell you then." Kathryn said and wished to go inside the Chakotay and Seven would come back.

"Yes please do this. I will go to Mass and have lunch. Can I give you the bridge back?" He asked kindly and Kathryn nodded to him.

"Yes, just give me 5 minutes, I need to freshen up for a bit." Kathryn replied and went to her bathroom, which adjoined her ready room, while Chakotay went back to the bridge.

When Kathryn saw her ruffled hairdo in the mirror, she blushed. Damn it, Chakotay thinks otherwise. If she fretted, she quickly combed and activated her communicator and called Seven.

"Seven?" She asked uncertainly, waiting for an answer.

"Kathryn?" Seven asked and Kathryn was sure that Seven was alone so they could talk openly.

"Darling, I am so sorry that we were interrupted so abruptly. I would like to see you after work today. Are you coming over?"

For a moment the line remained silent, before Seven answered. "I have Lt. Carey also assured my help for the beta shift. After that, I need to recharge my energy." Seven replied sadly.

Kathryn sighed deeply. "Darling, I really want to see you again today. Can you please come over after your regeneration? No matter what time it is, you are always welcome." Kathryn said.

"I'll come by." Seven promised and Kathryn smiled happily.

"Very good Darling, I'm going to give you the door code to my quarters, just come in and wake me up if I'm already asleep." Kathryn said, pausing for a moment before she added. "I love you darling." And eagerly awaiting Seven's reaction.

In Seven, a pleasant warmth had immediately spread and her eyes became glassy. Her head was buzzing and it felt like she was floating. Only those four little words were enough to melt an ex-drone.

Very happy Seven replied "I love you Kathryn."

When Kathryn entered the bridge a few minutes later and dismissed Chakotay for lunch, she had the biggest and widest smile on her face, which her bridge crew had ever seen before. Everyone who saw this smile wondered what was going on with their captain. But many were pleased that the captain seemed to be doing well, no matter what the occasion.


	20. Chapter 20

**Antrie**

"Root?" B'Elanna asked carefully, tapping her lightly.

Root had slept so hard she had not gotten how B'Elanna had returned with the other Antrans who had gone hunting together with B'Elanna.

Root woke slowly, but as soon as she saw B'Elanna, she smiled sleepily at her. "Hey, little tiger." She said in a husky voice.

"Hey, we're back from the hunt. The Antrans were not so bad at building and setting up traps. We caught several small animals. The Antrans pulled back to eat after I told them we did not eat raw bloody meat. Come on, I've already prepared our lunch." Explained B'Elanna and handed Root a warm emergency menu.

Root sat up and B'Elanna's astonishment, she immediately began to eat. B'Elanna had never seen Root eating so much the last two days, so she looked at her in surprise.

"What?" Asked Root after she noticed.

"Nothing, I'm just glad you eat the food. No more." B'Elanna replied and now took her own food and began to devour it hungry.

After B'Elnna finished eating, Root handed her half-eaten food to her. "Hey, no, that's yours." B'Elanna said sternly.

"I ate more than usual, so come and help me. I'll be eternally grateful to you." Root said in a soft tone and smiled seductively at B'Elanna. Root knew that B'Elanna was still hungry and that she needed more food because of her origins.

"Okay, I'll help you, but just because I can not see if food is left uneaten." B'Elanna said, grinning broadly at Root.

"The Antrans have had something to eat now, what's next?" B'Elanna asked with a full mouth.

"We should set out and head for the next village or the next smaller town. Maybe we can accommodate the Antrans there and then we can continue our journey to the sea." Root said, wondering how she could get 14 Antrans, B'Elanna and herself there as quickly as possible. She immediately remembered a bus, but did she have a data disc with a bus?

"I got it." Root suddenly said after thinking for a few minutes about whether she could project a bus.

B'Elanna looked at her intently. "What do you have?" She asked curiously.

"I know now how we can travel on. We'll have so much fun." Root said, winking happily at B'Elanna and then rummaging around in her backpack. When she found the appropriate data disc, she smiled happily at B'Elanna.

"Come on, we have to get back to the road, only then can I activate the holoprojector." Explained Root and locked her backpack and shouldered it up.

B'Elanna grumbled something to herself and would gladly have taken a break after dinner. Building and setting up the traps, she had reached the necessary midday weight.

Treena, Keenara and Breenara had already hurried to their side. Both Treena and Keenara were now mumbling softly, who could carry the backpack of Seven.

"Hey, what's up with you?" Asked B'Elanna, who did not like the fact that the Antrans only muttered to themselves and therefore could not understand a word.

"We both want to carry the backpack and can not decide who is allowed to." Answered Treena and B'Elanna rolled her eyes.

"Neither of you can wear the backpack. The backpack belongs to my girlfriend, so wear I it yourself." B'Elanna said seriously, shouldering Seven's backpack and picking up her backpack. Both Antrans looked disappointed.

Root walked over to them and stood in their midst, then put one hand on each of them and squeezed it lightly.

"Guys do not take it so hard, she's a Half klingon and it hurt her honor, if you want to help her with things that she wants to handle herself. Nothing personal is just a matter of honor. If you want to help, tell your people we want to move on and get ready." Root said to them and both looked at her with wide eyes.

Since the Antrans had six eyes of different sizes, it looked very, very, very strange and Root had to resist a laugh.

Then she walked over to Breenara, who had stood a few steps off the side and waited.

"How are you? We want to go to the street, can you do that?" Root asked and Breenara nodded quickly with his head.

"I'm feeling better, the pain is not so bad and my legs are fine." Breenara said shyly and Root smiled gently at him.

"Great, then come on." Root said, taking the young Antran by the hand, his uninjured arm, and pulling him slightly towards B'Elanna, Treena and Keenara.

"We can go." Root cheered as she arrived at the three. Then, to Breenara's grief, she let go of his hand and took the strap of B'Elanna's backpack into her hands as well.

"May I help you?" She asked quietly and B'Elanna nodded her head. So both held together the strap of the backpack and their hands touched so that B'Elanna was warm and Root grinned mischievous.

*********************

After Root, B'Elanna and the Antrans needed more than three quarters of an hour to get back to the street, Root projected a Super Samba VW bus.

Everyone, except Root, looked at the vehicle curiously.

"That can drive?" B'Elanna asked skeptical, once she had walked around the old VW bus, in Hippie Lock, to take a closer look.

"Yes, clearly he can drive. He only looks so old, but technically he is in very good shape. Come, be nice, you can drive too." Root replied, holding the car key grinning in her hand. B'Elanna grabbed the car key and climbed in amiably on the driver's side.

Breenara, Treena and Keenara also got into the second seat and followed B'Elanna's example and strapped on the straps.

The other Antrans were still undecided outside the VW bus and were too afraid to approach him.

"Treena, you have to convince your people to join. Tell them, this is the only way we can get on." asked Root Treena, who immediately got out of the VW bus and went to the other Antrans.

He quietly murmured on her until they finally convinced themselves to get into the VW bus.

Root made sure that every Antran was strapped in, before she sat down in the passenger seat and strapped herself in as well.

B'Elanna started the VW bus and while they drove the first minutes in complete silence over the highway, accompanied only with the engine hums, Root rummaged in her backpack and pulled out after a while a data chip, which she into a slot in the middle of the Console pushed.

Shortly thereafter, music from the Beach Boys sounded merrily "Surfin USA", from the speakers that were distributed in the VW bus.

All Antrans drove anxiously together and looked shocked in Roots direction. Root turned to them and laughed at her happily.

"That's music, it does not hurt you. Just enjoy the song, so traveling is a lot more fun." Root told them and then laughed cheekily at B'Elanna.

Root lowered her window and stuck her head halfway out, blowing the driving wind around her nose. Oh, how she missed driving around on her motorbike and enjoying the freedom. Could she leave B'Elanna alone here to project her motorcycle and drive up to the VW bus?

No, that would not be nice, it came to Root's mind and so she rejected the idea right away.

After the Beach Boys came other songs that she listened to and that reminded her of another life. After a while she looked out the window a little wistfully and returned to her thoughts, to a time when her life was still halfway okay.

After listening to the songs for a long time and rooting for their melancholy, Root suddenly had a great idea. Why not sing some travel songs? That would certainly make the stiff Antrans loose.

"Listen, how about we sing now? That's great fun. Well, I'll do it and if you think you got it then you get in there. Okay? "Root asked and started the song * Old MacDonald had a Farm *

Old MACDONALD had a farm  
E-I-E-I-O  
And on his farm he had a cow  
E-I-E-I-O  
With a moo moo here  
And a moo moo there  
Here a moo, there a moo  
Everywhere a moo moo  
Old MacDonald had a farm  
E-I-E-I-O

B'Elanna looked incredulously at Root. Sang Root really just a stupid nursery rhyme and tried cannibal aliens, to bring along with singing? It went through B'Elanna's mind.

Root, on the other hand, beamed at the Antrans as she sang, encouraging them to jump in and sing along.

Old MACDONALD had a farm  
E-I-E-I-O  
And on his farm he had a pig  
E-I-E-I-O  
With a oink oink here  
And a oink oink there  
Here a oink, there a oink  
Everywhere a oink oink  
Old MacDonald had a farm  
E-I-E-I-O

Root stopped and looked at the Antrans sadly and sulkily.

"That's not so difficult, come try it. I start from the beginning and you join in. Okay?" She asked and Treena, Breenara and Keenara nodded to her.

When Root started to sing the song over again, the three joined in and with Ach and Krachen they managed to sing the lyrics reasonably well. Root laughed happily and sang the second stanza with them.

"Okay and now you others, I start all over again and you sing along. Okay?" She asked hopefully the other Antrans in the VW bus.

B'Elanna sighed annoyed and looked back briefly.

"Guys, I feel she will not let up until you sing along. So do me a favor and finally sing along!" B'Elanna encouraged the Antrans.

Since most of the Antrans had gone hunting with B'Elanna and they knew each other a little better and they appreciated that B'Elanna had made them drop the trap and set them up, they started to sing along too. Not because of Root, who found her rather crazy, but because of B'Elanna, who seemed very sensible to them.

Root did not care, so the Antrans sang along, the main thing she did.

Old MACDONALD had a farm  
E-I-E-I-O  
And on his farm he had a duck  
E-I-E-I-O  
With a quack quack here  
And a quack quack there  
Here a quack, there a quack  
Everywhere a quack quack  
Old MacDonald had a farm  
E-I-E-I-O

So the VW bus drove past picturesque landscapes for over an hour with loud singing until B'Elanna looked at Root and realized how tired she looked.

"Take a break, you look pretty tired and our friends are too." She said and Root nodded her head.

The Antrans had become more open during the singing and somehow enjoyed what they were doing. Therefore, they were disappointed that the singing was over now. Quietly, she sighed disappointed.

Root turned to them and grinned tiredly.

"We'll sing later. Maybe we'll make a campfire and then we can tell scary stories and sing a little bit more. Rest well a little." She said and the Antrans nodded to her.

It was not until then that Root noticed something she had already noticed, but had not really considered.

"Say, why have male Antrans followed us?" She asked softly Treena, who sat diagonally behind her.

"I dont know. Maybe females are too scared to leave the city or they did not see your shine as we did." Treena replied and Root thought about it.

When they were shopping with Seven, there was a woman in the shop, she had said nothing about the shine, and in the barber shop, there were only women present. Maybe it was really because they could not see the shine. Or maybe they were smarter than to follow a stupid shine and thus risk their lives.

"When we sang, I strangely filled up. Somehow freer and carefree. Is that always how it is when you sing?" Treena asked curiously.

"Yes, music can do a lot, it can cheer you up, make you feel better or make you sad. Usually it makes me happy to sing or listen to music. And in the community, the music also connects. Have you never heard music before or sung yourself?" Asked Root.

"No, we Antrans do not know music, we do not know a lot, what you know. We only know the work, the food and the sleep. Not more. No feelings, no family and no friends." Treena replied sadly. "But since I know you and B'E, I want to experience it all too. Do you think we can do this?" Treena asked hopefully and Keenara and Breenara also nodded their heads as they wanted the same thing as Treena did.

"Sure you can have that. That's not hard. You just have to be ready and get involved and then you will get to know everything you want." Root assured them.

"But how is that supposed to work?" Treena asked curiously.

"Well, look, you, Breenara and Keenara you three have the same wishes, you want to get to know friendship, make music, feel better and much more. So you have a good base to build a good friendship with each other, because common desires and goals connect and create a good bond of friendship. And together you could experience joy, make music, sing and support you. Crying or laughing with each other, you could talk and talk and so much more. So yes, you have a good chance of experiencing all of this." Root said beaming encouragingly at the three Antrans before turning back to look out the window and think about the Antrans.

*********************

After about two hours, they finally reached a small place. B'Elanna parked the VW bus on the side of the street and nudged Root, who had been staring out of the window for a while, lost in thought.

"Root?"

"Hm ...?" She asked, turning to B'Elanna.

"We have reached a small place. Shall we get off and take a look around and see if we find anyone here? "B'Elanna asked.

"Yes, that's a good idea." Root said enthusiastically, unbuckling himself and getting out of the VW bus.


	21. Chapter 21

Root and B'Elanna went up and down the street while the Antrans stayed at the VW bus. Both women took turns looking in the windows and knocking on the doors, the various houses.

But nothing happened. The houses looked abandoned through the windows and even they were in poor condition, as if they had not been in use for many years.

"No one there." Root sighed and leaned against B'Elanna and put her arms around her.

"What do we do, drive on or set up camp here?" She asked the half-Klingon.

"Hm ... do not know. Maybe we should stay here and eventually the Antrans want to settle here. I mean, there are plenty of abandoned houses here.   
They now know how to build traps and hunt, so they can take care of themselves. And we did not want to take everyone along to the sea. Just Breenara to heal his broken arm." B'Elanna replied.

"Yes you are right. Okay, let's talk to the boys and tell them our plan to continue. Nevertheless, I would like to project the hot air balloon for both of us. I feel safer in it than staying in one of those abandoned houses." confessed Root embarrassed. But B'Elanna smiled happily at her.

"I was hoping that you would like to project your own accommodation for us. I also do not care about these abandoned houses. Besides, I was afraid that your fan club would like to sleep with us." B'Elanna said cheerfully and immediately got a Knuff, by Root in the side.

"Ouch" B'Elanna said sulkily and looked at Root questioningly.

"That was for your assumption that my fan club, which I do not have, wants to spend the night with us. And you have a fan club yourself, look over there, there are 11 Antrans who think you are their heroine since you were hunting together." Root replied, sticking her tongue out.

B'Elanna pulled Root into her arms and kissed Root on her lips, catching her tongue with her lips. The kiss deepened after a few moments, before Root gasped for air, detached from B'Elanna.

"Hey, that was unfair." She said blushing slightly and glared at B'Elanna. B'Elanna was not sure if it should look evil or seductive, so she gave Root a grin. Then Root gave her another bang in the side and turned around and went back to the VW bus, where the Antrans were waiting for them.

B'Elanna hurried after her quickly. "Are you mad at me now?" She asked sheepishly, but Root looked at her and smiled softly.

"No, not bad, but at some point we have to talk about it again. Look, you and Seven are together and I told you I'm not part of that. And just because Seven is not here does not mean I've changed my mind. Let's talk later, okay?" Asked Root, aiming toward the Antrans.

The Antrans had watched them kiss and talk excitedly about it.

"What have they done? Why did they do that? What sense did that have?" And many other questions had the upset Antrans and Treena, who had ever received a kiss from Root on the cheek, told them what a kiss was, what he should be good for and what the kiss he got from Root, had triggered in him, which feeling had arisen.

All Antrans looked at him in astonishment with big eyes. And so they continued to murmur excitedly, not knowing how B'Elanna and Root approached. Only when the two stood with them, they dissolved the circle and looked at her curiously.

"The houses are abandoned and it looks like nobody has been here for a long time. Since we can not take you to the sea, the question is whether you want to settle here? I think it all looks pretty dilapidated, but you can fix it. What do you say?" Asked Root, the Antrans.

The Antrans immediately formed a new circle and mumbled excitedly together.

Root leaned against the VW bus and B'Elanna joined them. "What do you mean, what are they muttering so excitedly?" B'Elanna asked bored, after a while.

Root shrugged and looked bored at the Antran.

After a while, the circle dissolved and Treena was forwarded to report what they had discussed.

Uncertain he stepped to the two women and looked at her sheepishly.

"They do not want to decide. They are still too distracted by something else right now." He said softly.

"What are they distracted by that they can not decide?" B'Elanna asked annoyed.

"Kissing. They also want to know how the kissing feels. They do not talk about anything else and they just want to decide what they want to do when you kiss them." Treena told Root.

Before Root could say anything, B'Elanna exploded in rage and rushed past Treena to the other Antrans. There she sat up in front of them and glared at her.

"That's out of the question, Root will never kiss you. Did you understand that? She is only allowed to kiss me." She said furiously and all Antrans looked at her anxiously.

Root put a hand on B'Elanna's shoulders from behind to appease her.

"B'E" she said softly "please calm down, you scare them."

But B'Elanna turned to her and also looked at her furiously. "That's the point of the matter, too." She hissed through her teeth.

"B'E, please let me fix this, I promise you that I will not kiss any of them. Okay?" Root asked softly and B'Elanna frowned at her.

"Promise?" She asked in disbelief.

"Promise."

"Okay, but make it clear that you'll never kiss her and if you do, or you still want me to tear you and her apart." B'Elanna said seriously again.

"Okay, I got it." Root replied softly and was a little moved that B'Elanna was so jealous and possessive. Then she turned to the Antrans.

"Listen guys, I can not kiss you. However, if you wanted to be kissed then Treena should take over. He already knows how to do it and he already has experience with it." Explained Root to B'Elanna and Treena's surprise. Both looked at Root wide-eyed and not only that, the Antrans looked at Root the same way.

"Good idea." B'Elanna said as she considered the matter and found it really good.

"I know." Root said and winked at her.

"So who wants to have a kiss, puts himself in a row. Treena stand here and then it's ready to go." Root cheered and grinned cheerfully at the Antran.  
Immediately a queue formed and all Antrans got up excitedly. Treena looked around helplessly and did not quite know if he should really like this idea. He swallowed several times.

"How am I supposed to do that?" He asked worried Root. But she knocked him cheerfully on the shoulders. "Do it the way I did it to you. Just a kiss on the cheek and then comes the next. You can do it."

Treena was somehow not so sure, but he posed nicely and first came Keenara to him. A little uncertain he looked at Treena and then waited for his kisses.

Treena leaned toward him, paying close attention not to touch Keenara and then blew a kiss on his cheek. But since his nose was in the way, the whole maneuver was very funny. Root and B'Elanna had to stop giggling.

"Hm ... wait, your nose is a bit annoying, maybe kissing will work better in another way. Treena try to rub your nose on Keenara's nose. Wait B'E and I, we'll show it to you." Root said, pulling B'Elanna into her arms and poking her nose on B'Elanna's nose and rubbing it gently. Shortly thereafter, to B'Elanna's grief, she separated again from her and looked at Treena.

"Did you see it? And it would be nice if you pull Keenara into your arms and push him against you. Of course only if Keenara and you agree with so much physical contact. Give it a try." Root demanded and looked at both hopefully.

So Treena put his arms around Keenara, who had moved even closer, and waited a moment to see if Keenara felt comfortable and how he felt about it. He himself felt okay with the hug and Keenara did not seem to mind, so he put his nose on Keenara's nose and they rubbed them together.

"Very good, that looks really cute. Do not you think so too?" Root asked B'Elanna and she had to agree with Root, so she nodded her head.

"And how did you both find that?" Asked Root the two Antrans and both answered at the same time. "Well."

"Great, then go on, who's next?" Root asked and Breenara stepped forward.

He looked at Root eagerly and would have loved to receive a peck from her. With a deep sigh, he turned to Treena. But before Treena could put his arms around him, he took a step back.

Everyone looked at him in surprise. "That's not the same thing you've just done. I'd like to try this other kiss with Root." The young Antran challenged defiantly, but B'Elanna had jumped to him angrily and grabbed him by the collar.

"You'll never get such a kiss from Root. Understood?" She asked angrily.

"Why not?" Asked Breenara, who obviously did not seem very afraid of B'Elanna, curious.

"Because such a kiss is shared only by lovers." B'Elanna said and Root raised her eyebrow.

"What are lovers?" Breenara asked, and B'Elanna let go of his collar and took a step back, considering the question.

"Lovers are two people who love each other and take care of each other and are always there for each other and the ..." B'Elanna thought for a moment, until she came up with a very good idea.

"They shine when they are together. These are lovers." Explained B'Elanna and all Antrans and also Root looked surprised. The Antrans whispered unanimously an "Ah"

"You shine, because you are lovers?" Treena asked first and he met a realization. "And so you stop shining when you are separated because you are lovers." he said reverently.

"I also want to shine, how do I become a lover?" He asked immediately and all other Antranner nodded their heads. "We do, too." they said in unison.

B'Elanna slapped her hand against her forehead and sighed deeply, very deeply.

"Guys, what if you did that with the kisses first, and then we decided to stay here today or move on and talk about how to become a lover later?" Root asked B'Elanna to help. She looked at her gratefully.

The Antrans looked at Root disappointed, but agreed.

"So Breenara, do you want a kiss from Treena or not?" Breenara looked at Root eagerly again.

"No" said the young Antran, stepping aside and sitting in the tall grass, watching the others. Passing two pairs of eyes always pointed to Root.

Treena kissed the next Antraner and so it went on until the last Antran had a kiss on the cheek.

Root and B'Elanna sighed in relief.

"Okay guys, can we decide now whether we want to stay here overnight or continue?" Root asked a little more urgently, firstly because she wanted to set up a night camp before dark, and secondly, she realized that she could rest for needed himself and wanted to retire.

The Antrans reunited in a circle and mumbled softly. However, Breenara sat in the grass and watched her without much interest in what the others decided. In his opinion, he wanted to stay where Root was, he did not care about anything else.


	22. Chapter 22

To Roots and B'Elanna's joy, the Antrans had finally decided. And fortunately, they wanted to stay in this little place.

For tonight they had therefore chosen a house, which still looked reasonably intact and provided enough space to accommodate all Antrans in it.

The house had about 3 rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. Everything in the house looked like it was once inhabited by a family. There was a living room, a bedroom and a room that looked like a nursery. Of course, only B'Elanna and Root noticed that, but did not tell the Antraner. The kitchen and bathroom had taps, which suggested that there had once been running water in the house. The dusty lamps on the ceilings indicated that there must once have been electricity or a similar source of energy. Unfortunately, nothing works anymore. The dust layer and the decay of the furniture suggested that no one had lived here for decades.

Quick had the Antrans for the necessary work divided root. One group should search the other houses for useful things, such as blankets, containers like buckets or bowls, candles, tools, and other important things.

Another group was ordered to clear the living room from the old furniture, while other Antrans should remove the thick layer of dust all over the room.

Root and B'Elanna, meanwhile, had piled firewood out in the street, carrying them from everywhere. From this they built a small campfire, which they later wanted to light.

Breenara had always stayed close to the two women and had, as best as possible, helped them with his broken arm.

**********************

Treena and Keenara, on the other hand, had roped off from the other Antrans and now roamed the area around the small town. They were not really looking for something. No, they both talked about the kiss together and how it felt for both of them.

Treena was keen to know how the others he had kissed felt like comparing himself to how he felt himself. He wanted to light up and he absolutely needed to know what it was like with the lover. He had so many questions and he very much hoped that Root and B'E could answer him soon.

But now he hoped for answers from Keenara. And Keenara was more than willing to answer the questions from Treena. He found the kiss they share good, even more than good. And he wanted more of it and hoped that Treena would kiss him again. So he answered every question he had.

Without realizing it, they had come closer together while walking, and more and more often their shoulders and hands brushed against each other. At first it was quite casual without really wanting it, but the longer the two walked together across the meadows, all around the small town, the more often it happened on purpose. Keenara did not notice it at the beginning, but now he realized that Treena's hand brushed his hand just as often. That could not happen just like that. Or?

Keenara stopped in the middle of the walk and Treena, who had only noticed it after a few steps, looked at him in astonishment.

"Why are you stopping?" He asked, and Keenara looked embarrassed to the ground.

"What is it?" Treena asked again.

"Your hand and my hand have often touched during our tour. I find this body contact pleasant." He murmured softly and Treena looked at him in surprise.

He stepped closer to Keenara and took his two hands in his hands.

"The same thing happened to me. My hand touched your hand unintentionally, but then I initiated it because I liked the body contact. And now that I keep your hands conscious, I feel a pleasant tingling in me. Are you the same?" Treena asked curiously and to his delight Keenara nodded his head.

"Yes" he murmured and then smiled at Treena.

"I'm so glad we feel the same." Treena said relieved.

"I would like to kiss even more." Shot out of Keenara and Treena looked at him in surprise.

But then he pulled Keenara into his arms and kissed him as before. Both snouts were rubbing against each other and both Antrans sighed happily.

**********************

"See who's coming." B'Elanna nudged Root a little and pointed in the direction she meant.

Treena and Keenara came holding hands in the street in their direction.

"Oh my god, they look so cute together." Root exclaimed enthusiastically, squeezing B'Elanna for joy.

"Do not you think so too?" Root asked excitedly.

"Hm ... yes." B'Elanna said simply and continued to stack the firewood for the campfire.

Root looked at her skeptically from the side, but left it for the first time and turned around to the two Antraner who had almost arrived at them.

"Treena, Keenara, oh you look so cute together. Almost like a loving couple. What happened?" Root asked excitedly.

"We found out on the tour around the place that we like to hold our hands. What is a loving couple?" Asked Treena.

"That's actually the same thing as lovers. I'm so glad you found that out." Root said smiling happily at both Antrans.

Treena and Keenara also looked at her happily and B'Elanna rolled her eyes, annoyed.

"How about if you help lovebirds, the other dusting?" She asked. So much cuddling was not for her, especially not when it involved two men.

So both hands held to the others, while Root B'Elanna frowned.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you so rude to the two?" She asked, looking at B'Elanna seriously.

"I was not rude, I just reminded them that there are still things to do until it gets dark and well, they want to sleep there, right? So it would be good if they help out, right? "B'Elanna asked indignantly.

"Okay, but I think that's not all. So tell me, what is it that pisses you off?" Asked Root B'Elanna to speak with the language.

B'Elanna sighed deeply before answering.

"I just think we should not interfere too much in their lives. Do you know how they deal with homosexuality here? Who knows what we'll charge them for trouble with the things we've shown them so far and where the whole thing will lead to. That's why there are rules in the Star Fleet and we should stick to it." B'Elanna said decisively.

Root looked at her in horror.

"I do not belong to Starfleet and I do not care about your rules. I'm here and they asked for help and asked me questions about this and that. I was just trying to help and I will not stop, no matter how many Starfleet rules there are that would forbid me to do that." Root said softly but seriously. Then she turned around and left B'Elanna standing.

B'Elanna looked after her in surprise. Root had not been loud, but the whole conversation felt like it was the first argument between them. So B'Elanna sighed deeply and sat down in the grass next to Breenara. Who had watched the conversation or the dispute carefully.

"See that happens when you upset someone you love." B'Elanna sighed.

"What happened?" Asked the young Antraner curiously.

"We argued and now I feel bad because I did not want to argue with Root and I feel guilty for breaking the rules of Starfleet. More and more, on the other hand, violates that." B'Elanna sighed.

"We have also violated many rules and now we can not go back. But I also do not want to go back to the city, especially if it means being processed into food. Which rules did you violate? Can not you now go back to your spaceship?" Breenara asked with interest.

However, before B'Elanna could answer, engine sounds were heard from afar, approaching quickly. Breenara and B'Elanna looked surprised in that direction, from which the sounds came.

Root also hurried back to them quickly and looked in the direction.

"Who is that?" Breenara asked anxiously.

Root looked at him seriously. "No idea, but we should take cover, I do not feel good. Run and hide. Quick." She shouted at once and took already B'Elanna's hand in hers and ran with her to the house, which they had already cleaned all afternoon. Breenara quickly hurried after them.

The other Anrans who had heard the noise and come curiously out of the house to see what was going on, ran back into the house and locked the door as soon as Root, B'Elanna and Breenara arrived were.

"Hiding!" crie Root, but she knew that this house was impossible. Precisely because they had cleared the living room of all the rotten furniture. In the other rooms were also few hiding places.

She quickly searched her backpack for a holoprojector and a suitable data disc. Fortunately, B'Eanna and she herself carried the tracker, which could also form a protective shield as soon as they were in danger. Only B'Elanna knew nothing about it. But that did not matter now.

Root quickly put the data disc into the holoprojector and activated it. Immediately, she held the dangerous-looking weapon she had already projected this morning in her hand and stood at the window, squinting tensely through the faded curtains, watching the street carefully.


	23. Chapter 23

After a few minutes, the first vehicle popped up loudly. It looked like an army truck. It just rolled over the campfire that Root and B'Elanna had set up for the afternoon. And passed by the house where they were hiding. Shortly behind came a second army truck that stopped right in front of the house. Behind it a third army truck stopped and as far as Root could see, behind it was still a fourth vehicle, which had stopped. As soon as the army stopped trucks, several armed men got out of the vehicles and immediately stormed the houses closest to them. They entered the doors and disappeared into the houses.

Root held her weapon tight.

"B'E is there a back door here? We should all disappear as soon as possible. The men outside do not look like they're coming for a Sunday visit." Root whispered and B'Elanna immediately went to see if there was a back door.

After a few moments, she came back. "No, there's no ..." before she could speak further, the armed men entered the front door and immediately dispersed in the house.

Root stood in the room in alarm with her gun as the men came in. The Antrans hid in the other rooms. So Root, Breenara and B'Elanna stood alone in the anteroom.

"We have them." The man standing in front of Root called out. Immediately, another man came into the house and threatened Root and B'Elanna.

"I am the commanding operations chief, we are from the security service and we have the job to arrest the Antrans who have fled. Under the law, they have been guilty and so we have the power to take them with them. Step aside."said the Operations chief and Root blinked at him in surprise.

Meanwhile, the other men, the hidden Antrans, found themselves in the house and dragged them out of the house toward Army Trucks.

Root made this behavior so infuriating, so she raised her weapon and looked venomously at the man in front of her.

"Forget it, before you can arrest Breenara, you have to get rid of me first." She said determinedly, glaring at the man.

B'Elanna looked at Root dumbfounded. "Root!!! Please do not do nonsense, step aside." asked B'Elanna worried.

"They'd better listen to her," the operative chief said to Root, but Root was determined to save Breenara from arrest, no matter what that cost.

"No" she said, but the Operations chief just smirked at her and flicked his gun out of his belt. Breenara, seeing this movement, shoved Root off the page at exactly the time and stepped in front of her as the Operations chief activated his weapon.

A loud bang pervaded the room and then it was suddenly quiet. Root, who had fallen to the floor, scrambled to his feet and looked wide-eyed at Breenara, who was lying on the floor beside her, struggling for breath.

The Operations chief laughed loudly and then called his men and left the house. Meanwhile, Root lost her composure and began to sob heartbrokenly. Disturbed, she pulled Breenara onto her lap and asked him not to die while she tried to stop the blood coming from the abdominal wound with her hand.

Breenara's eyes stared at Root in fear, and a rattle came out of his mouth as he tried to say something.

B'Elanna immediately knelt down next to Root and also tried to squeeze the wound to stop the blood. But it was so much blood that she immediately realized that they could never stop it in time.

But Root was so busy asking Breenara not to die, to sob and stop his bleeding that she did not notice. Or, as B'Elanna believed, she did not want to know.

Breenara's eyes twitched wildly and blood spurted from his mouth. When Root saw this, she leaned down to Breenara and put her forehead on his forehead for a moment, then she kissed him on the cheek while she murmured again and again, sobbing, "Please stay alive."

A smile appeared on Breenara's lips, and with that smile he closed his six eyes and went limp in Root's arm.

Root hugged the young Antran and cradled him gently, mumbling under his breath.

All this happened in a few moments. So B'Elanna winced as the men stormed back into the house.

"There are two Antrans missing, where are they?" Shouted Operations cheif to B'Elanna and Root.

Root did not react to her grief at all, but B'Elanna looked at him confusedly.

"No idea. Maybe they are hiding somewhere in the house or in the area. I do not know." She said honestly and the Operations chief looked at her skeptically. Then he decided that she was telling the truth, so he turned back and ordered his men to search all the houses more closely.

Then he came back in and ordered two of his men to transport the dead Antran into one of the vehicles.

When the men approached to Root and the dead Breenara, Root pulled her weapon lightning fast and fired at the men. Both men follow in a high arc about three meters against the opposite wall and sank unconscious to the ground.

B'Elanna and the Operations chief looked at Root stunned.

"Nobody touches him" Root said softly, glaring at the Operations chief with a very crazy-looking look. On her cheeks one could still see the tears running down unhindered and her lips trembled treacherously.

The Operations chief thought for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders and left the house. Shortly thereafter, other men came into the house, which collected the unconscious men and carried away.

After all the houses had been searched again, but the two disappeared Antrans were not found, the Operations chief came one last time to Root and B'Elanna in the house.

"You are strangers and visitors of our planet, because of you, the Antrans have become apostates. I urge you to leave Antrie as soon as possible before the ruler issues a warrant for your arrest." He said sternly before leaving the house, getting into the army truck, and the four vehicles entering the small town, as well quickly leave as they had come.

B'Elanna eased to the floor next to Root and wrapped her arms around her. But Root still held the dead Breenara in her arms and cried softly to herself. She did not even seem to notice that B'Elanna was hugging her.

"No, not. I do not need your consolation." Root suddenly said coldly and turned away from B'Elanna's arms. Carefully she laid the limp body of Breenara on the floor and stood up. With shaky legs she left the house and stepped into the street. There she hastily started bringing the firewood back together and stacking it in a heap. Just as she had done with B'Elanna earlier.

B'Elanna hurried to her. "Root, what are you doing?" She asked stunned and turned Root over so they could look at each other.

Root looked at B'Elanna sadly. "I want to burn his body. He should not be processed into food." She answered softly and then began again to collect the next branches and bring them to the campfire.

"I'll help you." B'Elanna said seriously and grabbed the next branch and the next wooden strip and carried it to the campfire.

For quite a while they work silently next to each other, when suddenly something moved in the tall grass. B'Elanna, whose senses were momentarily sharpened anyway, looked in that direction and began to growl.

Root looked at her in alarm.

But when Keenara and Treena emerged from the tall grass, she gave a sigh of relief.

"So you were the two who escaped. How did you do that?" B'Elanna asked, turning to them as Root feverishly continued to build the campfire.  
Both Antrans looked embarrassed to the ground.

"Earlier, when you told us to help clean up, we did not go in there. Because we ..." Treena sighed deeply before continuing. "We have always been told what we should do and what we should not do. We decided to decide for ourselves what we wanted to do and not what we were told to do, what we should do. So we passed the house. You and Root had just had a fight and therefore no longer paid attention to us. When we heard the engine sounds, we ran away quickly and hid ourselves. We climbed a tree and waited quietly until we heard the engine sounds again as they leave." 

"That saved your lives." B'Elanna sighed deeply and squinted in Roots direction, who was still building the campfire.

"Yes, but what do we do now?" Treena asked, hoping that B'E or Root would tell him again how to proceed.

B'Elanna looked at the two Antrans but did not know what else to do. "No idea, but first we have to take care of Breenara. Ask me again later."

"What about Breenara?"

"He was shot and it was my fault." Root whispered in icy tones and disappeared back into the house.

B'Elanna, Treena and Keenara watched her with mixed feelings. B'Elana was worried about Root and the two Antrans, had the news that Breenara was dead, affected and saddened.

"Can you please continue to pile up the firewood? We want to burn Breenara to give him a proper farewell. I have to go to Root, the death of Breenara takes her a lot."

Both Antrans nodded their heads and immediately set to work while B'Elanna went to Root in the house.

Root sat next to Breenara's limp body and studied him, though B'Elanna could not say whether she was looking at the young dead Antran or staring at him in thought. No matter what it was, it did not really matter.

"Root, how are you?" B'Elanna asked softly and put her hand on Roots shoulder as she sat down next to her.

Root looked at her with blank eyes and swallowed a few times until she answered.

"It's my fault this was all happening here. And you know what's funny about it?" Root asked, chuckling confusedly. B'Elanna shook her head anxiously. "No, tell me what the funny part is."

"He did not need to protect me because I carry my tracker. As my heartbeat increases, it forms a protective shield around my body. That way, nothing can happen to me. By the way, your tracker is doing the same thing." Root explained and continued to laugh bitterly.

"That stupid, stupid boy, he died in vain. Well ..." Root cocked her head and grinned at B'Elanna strangely. "Okay, so he's least spared in the factory to be processed into a meal menu, as it is the other before." Root replied and laughed.

The laughter, however, quickly turned to a sob and her body began to shake. To B'Elanna's astonishment, Root fled to her and leaned against her, crying. B'Elanna immediately put her arms around her and pulled her to her body.

Root sobbing stopped after a while, but she stayed in B'Elanna's arms. She was so tired and she felt so miserable. But she felt safe in B'Elanna's arms and she wanted to revel in that feeling for a moment before she had to stand up and face life again.

B'Elanna's belly started to growl and he did not growl quietly, no, he growled really scary loudly. So no one who could ignore it to both women. Root freed himself from B'Elanna's arms and looked tearfully but with a gentle look.

"We should make you something to eat."

"Yes, we should, but that can wait a while. We should first pay our respects to Breenara and then disappear here. I feel very uncomfortable here."

Root nodded and they both rose from the ground. Both women stooped down to Breenara's limp dead body. Root pushed her hands under his shoulders forward to his chest and held him so tight, while B'Elanna put his legs around her waist and put her hands around his buttocks. So they carried Breenara out to the campfire.

After Breenara's body was right on the campfire, Root stepped forward. Gently stroking her hand over Breenara's pale cheek, then turned to the other three.

"I've only known Breenara since this morning, but he has not left me since then. He was always near me like a shadow. He was very calm and quiet, so I know very little about him. The only thing I know exactly about him is that he was very young. He had just been released from the hatching colony and had to get used to the new life in the city and his work. He was only 7 months old. He wanted to live and not be processed into food. He wanted to shine and in the end, before he closed his eyes, he shone. He shone from the inside out. Breenara will always occupy an important place in my heart. I'll never forget how he selflessly sacrificed himself to save me. He is a hero for me and always will be. Farewell, may life in the next life be more beautiful and loving for you." Root kissed Breenara gently on the cheek, laid a flower on his chest and arranged his hands over it, then took a step back.

"Anyone else want to say something?" She asked, but B'Elanna, Treena and Keenara shook their heads.

Treena and Keenara clung to their hands and lowered their heads as B'Elanna lit the torch, which was already ready, and then held it to the firewood. 

The firewood was so dry that it immediately caught fire. Within a few seconds Breenara's body was wrapped in fire.

It was not very long before the campfire and Breenara's body burned.

Root had pulled out of her backpack the container, where the day before yesterday her heart monitor was inside out and the heart was in it, disabled.

Only then did B'Elanna notice that Root probably had not worn her heart monitor the whole time. Frowning, she looked at her, but Root ignored it.

Root put the heart monitor in her pocket and into the container she collected the ashes that she thought were from Breenara's body.

B'Elanna and the two Antrans looked at her in confusion. "What are you doing?" Treena asked curiously.

"I collect the ashes of Breenara, he accompanies us on our journey to the sea. He would certainly have liked the sea. I'll scatter his ashes there." Root said sadly and put the container back in her backpack.

Then she searched her backpack until she found a chocolate bar, which she handed over to B'Elanna. B'Elanna gratefully accepted it and immediately opened it. In a few seconds she had devoured him and looked apologetically at the others.

Root had pulled the holoprojector and the data disc of the Jeep out of her jacket pocket and then activated it.

"Come, let's get out of here." she said after the jeep stood in front of them. Quickly she rounded the jeep, threw her backpack in the trunk and got on the driver's side.

B'Elanna also quickly picked up her and Seven backpacks and stowed them in the trunk before sitting down on the passenger side. Treena and Keenara took the back seat in the backseat. As soon as everyone was strapped in, Root started the jeep.


	24. Chapter 24

**Voyager**

"Regeneration Cycle Complete" announced the computer voice emotionless.

Seven's eyes fluttered open and she stepped off the alcove platform.

After she had helped with the repairs, both in the Alpha and Beta shifts, she was in desperate need of regeneration. And now that she had finished regenerating, she felt fresh and energetic again.

She left the Cargo Bay 2 and made her way to the captain's quarters.

"To Kathryn" she sighed in thought.

In front of Kathryn's quarters, she quickly entered the door code, which she had received from her a few hours ago. As soon as the door opened, she entered silently and looked around the living room.

The lights were dimmed, but through her enhanced eyesight she could still locate Kathryn on the couch. Silently, Seven went there and looked at Kathryn, who had fallen asleep on the couch.

On her stomach she had a book, which she still held with her hand. Seven carefully took the book out of Kathryn's hand and laid it on the coffee table.

Then she gently pushed her hands and arms under Kathryn's body and easily lifted her off the couch and carried her into the bedroom. Seven dropped her gently on the bed and covered her with the blanket. Before Seven left, she breathed a good night kiss on Kathryn's forehead.

Kathryn sighed softly in her sleep, but fortunately did not wake up.

Since Seven was very alert and rested, she decided to return to work and help with the repairs.

*****************************

To Seven bad luck, the repairs had been completed while she had regenerated. So she was nothing left for them to do, except to go into astrometry and analyze the data the sensors had recorded on the ion storm.

**Antrie**

As Root drove through the night and focused on the road, she was feverishly thinking about the next steps she needed to take to keep both Antrans safe and prevent further disasters. It was just a good way to prevent both. But B'Elanna would not like it. But it had to be.

"You should take a break and let me drive on." Root startled a little, she had not expected that B'Elanna was awake.

"Okay, let's swap." Root lurched to the side and B'Elanna slid into the driver's seat after Root got out.

As they drove awhile and B'Elanna noticed the root slipping back and forth in her seat, but not resting, she decided to appeal to what was on her mind.

"How long have you not worn your heart monitor?" She asked and Root turned her head to her.

"I dropped him off the very next day. And see, I'm still alive." Root said sarcastically. "B'E, the heart monitor is just for the doctor's control, which he knows and can come to in case of danger, to save my life. But Voyager is gone, she's not even around. So why carry on the heart monitor? And besides, the most important thing is that I take my pills regularly and do nothing that would upset me too much. OK?"

B'Elanna nodded her head. "When you talked about Breenara earlier that you only knew him this morning, but do not know much about him, I noticed that I do not know anything about you either. Tell me something about you." asked B'Elanna looked over at Root for a moment, before she concentrating on the car ride again.

Root sighed twice. "What do you want to know about me?"

"Hm ... how about everything? I mean, I've only known you for a few days, but it feels as if I've known you all my life, and it's only since you stepped into my life that I feel complete. I do not understand how that can be. Why is that so? Tell me who you are. You're welcome."

Root smiled gently at B'Elanna, she like B'Elanna. She felt comfortable and safe in her vicinity. She already knew a lot about B'Elanna, after all she had hacked the database of Voyager and read through every member of the crew.

"I can not tell you everything. So ask me something and I'll try to answer as best I can."

"Why can not you tell me everything?" Was B'Elanna's first question and Root grinned at her broadly.

"That's because then I lose my mysterious aura and you may realize how normal and boring I am." Root replied insolently and giggled.

"I do not think you've ever been normal and boring in your life."

"Thanks, what would you like to know?" Asked Root graciously.

"Where are you from?"

"Earth." Root answers succinctly and succinctly.

B'Elanna looked at her from the side. "More information would be nice, for example which continent, which city."

"Nah, earth must be enough." Root replied insolently.

"Okay." B'Elanna said, looking pouting at her.

"What are you doing there when you're not in the Delta Quadrant?"

"Oh, not much, I most working on my laptop or computer, writing codes, programming, inventing new things, thinking about, improving, beautifying, making more efficient. Nothing exciting."

"What have you invented so far?" B'Elanna asked curiously.

"Good question that is not easy to explain and I should not tell you. These are trade secrets and I have signed a contract that keeps me confidential and must never reveal anything about our inventions. Sorry." Root apologized and smiled gently at B'Elanna.

"So top secret?"

"Yes exactly."

"Did you invent the holoprojector?" B'Elanna asked curiously.

"Yes, but I can only tell you that because the holoprojector is a private project that will never come to the world market. There are only those I have with me and a few who are at home with me."

"Why will it never be a product that you can buy? It's always cool to always have what you need." B'Elanna asked stunned.

"There's the problem, there's something like a market economy that would collapse if the holoprojector came on the market. With the data discs you can all project what you want, such as clothes. If you can project every garment you want, you would not want to buy real clothes anymore. It's the same with all the other things you can project yourself." Root explained, looking out into the darkness.

"If you were to sell the holoprojector, you would be able to get rich with it." B'Elanna replied stunned that the root would miss such a chance.

"Yes, could be. But where is the fun?" Root asked jokingly, taking a small buff from B'Elanna.

"Ouch. I'm serious. What should I do with all the money or credit? I can not buy what I want most urgently anyway." explain Root honest.

B'Elanna frowned at Root. "What do you want so dearly that you can not buy it?"

When Root did not answer but kept silent, B'Elanna looked over at her.

"Tell me, please." So she asked again.

"I wish to have the people I lost back in my life. Or I wish I could at least have said goodbye to them." Root mumbled softly, but not quietly enough, because B'Elanna had heard it anyway.

"Yes, I wish that too. Everyone misses his family, friends and relatives on Voyager. We are still 35000 light-years away from the Alpha Quadrant, which is about 35-40 years that we need to return. You're right, such desires can not be fulfilled with any money in the world." B'Elanna sighed deeply and let her hand slip to Root, Root took her in her hand, led her to her mouth and breathed a peck on it.

"Why do you want to fly alone into the Alpha Quadrant with your spaceship and how are you going to do it?" B'Elanna asked after both women passed through the night in silence for a moment.

"I can not live on a spaceship where I have to stick to too many rules. I would not stand it for a week without violating any rules in any way. See, I have my own rules and my life, I have no account of the things that I do or want to do. If I want something, I'll do it. But on the Voyager this is hardly possible. Therefore, I prefer to go alone and go my own way. And as far as the trip home, now I'll make it. Do not worry little tiger, I still have some aces up my sleeve." Root said mysteriously, winking at B'Elanna.

"Is anyone waiting for you in the Alpha Quadrant?"

Root paused to look at B'Elanna at the question and shifted uneasily to her seat.

"Maybe." She said softly and uncertainly.

"May I ask who?" B'Elanna asked, not relenting.

Root sighed deeply. "Okay, you know, maybe it's just good that you asked and I should answer you honestly. On the day we reached Antrie, I should have been standing in front of the altar and marrying Dominique. However, there was a week before a big fight between us, whereupon I got into my space racer and started flying. Well, you know the rest of the story. Maybe she is waiting for me. I do not know and it's not important." confessed Root, watching B'Elanna's reaction to this news.

"You wanted to marry?" She asked in surprise.

"Hm ... no, not anymore, so it came to a fight. I had already realized before that I can not marry Dom because I did not love her enough. I liked her very much, but marrying her with this background was unfair. Dom saw it differently. She knew how I felt for her, but she had hoped that at some point more love would come of it. So she asked if I would like to marry her. And I, well, I did not think about it and said yes. Hoping that I would love her more over time. But did not happen." said Root honest.

"So you broke her heart?"

"Yes, not on purpose. I never wanted that and B'E," Root once again took B'Elanna's hand in her hand and held her gently. "I do not want to hurt you either or break your heart. We both, just can not be together. Not only because you are already with Seven, but also because there was someone in my life whom I loved everywhere. And my stupid, broken heart just can not stop loving that person." Root said, releasing B'Elanna's hand after seeing the sad and disappointed look in B'Elanna's eyes.

B'Elanna's eyes gleamed treacherously in the darkness, so she quickly turned her head back to the road and forbade herself to start crying. Instead, she swallowed, twice before continuing to ask.

"Who was this person and why are you no longer together?"

"Her name was Sameen, Sameen Shaw. Just as my space car is called. Sameen has been dead for a very long time and I could not say goodbye to her. Both my heart and mind can not understand that Shaw is dead." Root answered, wiping his hands over her tears streaming down her cheeks. Before B'Elanna could ask further, Root continued.

"Dom was my therapist, she should help me get over the loss of Sameen. But talking about Sameen and what we experienced together did not really help me forget or say goodbye to her. Dom fell in love with me, we started meeting outside the therapy and she showered me with her love, hoping it would help forget Sameen. But it did not do it. Yes, okay, it distracted me for a while and pulled me out of a deep depression. But to be honest, only since I've stranded here in the Delta Quadrant, got to know you and Seven, am I feeling better. Well, apart from my broken heart."

"Why do not you let the doctor operate on you?" B'Elanna asked angrily.

Root gestured that she should be quieter so she would not wake the two Antrans.

"Because it's my heart and I do not want to get it operated on. I do not want it to be changed." She said softly.

"That's crazy, you're crazy." B'Elanna said honestly.

Root grinned at her broadly. "Yes, that can be it. What about you and Tom? Before I came to the Voyager, you were still the dream couple and now you are with Seven together. Why?" Asked Root, not because it interested her greatly, but because she wanted to distract herself.

B'Elanna sighed deeply. "Before you showed up, I really thought that Tom is the one I can be happy with. But when you attacked me in my quarters, disabled me and tied me, you made me so angry and my blood rushed with desire for you through my body, I just had to kiss you. And this only kiss has turned my world, my life and my emotional world upside down. I suddenly knew that Tom had never made my blood so rushing and probably never would. I realized that I could never be the way I am with Tom. I am half klingon and only when my blood rushes, then I feel as alive as never before. With that realization, I could not stay with Tom." confessed B'Elanna quietly and Root knew she was telling the truth.

"Does Seven make your blood rush?"

B'Elanna thought of the young ex-drone and a smile appeared on her face.

"Oh yes, in the past she has sometimes made my blood rush and boil, with her unique way of doing things. We argued so often and I was so angry and mad at her just as often. That's why I treated her so badly so many times because she made those feelings come to me that I could not handle. And now that we're together and kissing her, I'm going crazy with craving for her. But that's how I feel about you."

Root looked at B'Elanna carefully. "You and Seven, you look very cute together. I think you are making a really nice couple."

"Thanks." B'Elanna said, touched.

Before it got too sneaky, Root gently pressed B'Elanna's hand again before addressing the next thing that was important to them all.

"We need to drop Keenara and Treena tomorrow, can you show them how to build traps and set them up?"

"Yes, I can do it. Try to sleep a bit, then we change, so I also get a little sleep, before I show the two, how they can take care of themselves."

"Okay, where is Seven Backpack?"

"In the back of the boot, should I hold fast so you can get it?"

"Yes, please. Takes only a short time."

B'Elanna stopped in the street and Root got out quickly and rummaged in the trunk in Seven's backpack. Shortly thereafter, she jumped in again with Seven's ugly-looking cuddly toy and grinned broadly at B'Elanna.

"Just that you know, that's my Ugly Doll, I only lent it to Seven." Root said, hugging the cuddly toy tightly and leaning her head against the windowpane. A short time later she fell asleep.

B'Elanna glanced over at Root and was glad that she had finally fallen asleep.


	25. Chapter 25

**Voyager**

Too rough, for Kathryn's taste, she was awakened by the alarm clock. And, to her chagrin, not Seven was lying next to her in bed. Disappointed, she crawled out of bed and went to her bathroom to get ready for her duty.

After an extensive hydro shower and a freshly smelling new uniform, she swung into her living area. On the dining table, to her surprise, she spotted a tray with a stasis cover. Quickly she lifted the cover and smiled broadly as she found a cup of good-smelling coffee and a delicious-looking breakfast menu.

Hastily Kathryn took the cup in her hand and led her to her mouth. First, she inhaled the smell of coffee before taking a sip.

"Mhhh..." she groaned into the pleasure.

Behind her back, Seven quietly approached and slid her hands around Kathryn's waist and kissed her gently on the neck.

Kathryn stopped in surprise, then leaned into Seven's embrace.

"Good morning darling." she said and quickly turned to Seven, after she had put her cup down.

Seven eyes looked at her in love and Kathryn's heart began to throb wildly. She quickly put her hands around Seven's neck and pulled her head down to hers. Her lips met and the kiss deepened violently.

It took several minutes for Seven to part from Kathryn's lips. Kathryn looked at her in surprise.

"Your breakfast and your coffee, it's getting cold, you should start breakfast." Seven said mildly and Kathryn looked challengingly at her.

"I'll do it right away, but only if you give me another kiss." She said with a smile and Seven playfully raised her eyebrow.

"Kathryn, that will only delay the start of your breakfast. After breakfast, I'll give you another kiss." Seven replied logically and broke away from Kathryn's embrace. Then she pulled the chair from the dining table and gestured Kathryn to sit down.

Kathryn surrendered to her fate and sat down obediently on the offered chair.

"Come and sit with me and eat something." She asked Seven and Seven sat down to Kathryn at the table. Kathryn immediately gave her a fork with a little scrambled egg and Seven opened her mouth willingly and let Kathryn feed her.

"Good, is not it?" Kathryn asked and Seven nodded her head as she chewed.

"Last night, I was in the mess hall and since Neelix is still stranded on the planet, Mr. Chell has taken over the cooking. I have to admit, what I ate there last night was pretty tasty. And you know, an idea came to me. Would you like to know what idea I had?" Kathryn asked mysteriously.

"Yes, please. Explain your idea to me."

"I was wondering how nice it would be to have dinner with you tonight in my quarters and to offer Mr. Chell a nice meal for both of us. What do you think of the idea?" Kathryn asked hopefully, as she knew very well that Seven often did different tasks in the evening and therefore did not have enough time.

"Would you like me to stay with you again after dinner?" Asked Seven in return.

"Oh, I'd like that darling." Kathryn said, glaring at Seven seductively.

"Me too. When should I come to dinner?"

"So around 1900 would be good. So I would have time for a bath and could pick up the food from the fair."

"Hm ..." Seven thought and Kathryn looked at her expectantly. "Yes darling?"

"How about I come around 1830 and we eat together and then you take your bath. I have never bathed and would love to observe and analyze this activity." Seven replied and winked at Kathryn slightly.

Kathryn leaned over to Seven and pulled her close for a kiss. After kissing for a long moment and Kathryn broke away from Seven, Seven gave her a very charming smile.

"Darling, I like your idea even better. So we do it. But instead of just watching and analyzing this activity, I would like to experience the activity with you. OK?"

"Acceptable. What is necessary for this activity? What do I have to bring with me or what do I need to know about it?" Asked Seven eagerly. She did not want to make any mistakes and best manage the activity of bathing.

"Darling, stay calm. You do not have to know anything about it and you do not have to bring anything with it. It's just a bath, nothing more. Do not worry, okay?" Kathryn tried to reassure Seven.

"Okay."

"Great." Kathryn said, smiling happily at Seven.

"Darling, breakfast is heavenly, how did you manage that my replicator, who always lets me fry everything, replicates a perfect breakfast for me?" Kathryn asked curiously as she continued to eat her breakfast.

"I just entered the correct codes and kindly asked him to replicate the food I wanted."

"Oh, how easy is it?" Kathryn asked incredulously.

"Well, maybe it's good to be a Borg and threaten the replicator with assimilation if he does not obey." Seven said with a grin and Kathryn grinned at her broadly.

"I knew it was a trick. Darling, thanks for the great breakfast. Will we have lunch in my ready room?" Kathryn asked as she finished her breakfast and turned to the bedroom to brush her teeth before she had to go to work.

"I do not need that much food intake. If I'm already having lunch with you, I do not need dinner." Explained Seven logically.

"Hm ... maybe I just want to eat you for lunch for dessert." Kathryn replied and looked at Seven tempting.

"In that case, we should not go into your ready room, but either to your quarters or to another place where we are undisturbed." Seven said seductively and pulled Kathryn into her arms and kissed her gently and tenderly.

**Antrie**

Early the next morning, B'Elanna had taken the two Antrans to the woods and showed them the materials they needed to set a trap. After that, she showed them how to set up a trap and where to put it.

Afterwards they had returned to Root, who had already warmed up an emergency ration menu for B'Elanna. After she and Root had had their breakfast, Root did something B'Elanna did not immediately understand, but did not question. She was too eager to see if the traps they had set up had already captured prey.

But now, when she returned with Treena and Keenara with the loot, she suddenly knew why Root hugged Treena and Keenara earlier and wished them well. The space in front of them was empty, and there was no trace of Root, except for a piece of paper attached to a nearby tree.

**"Hey B'E, I'm sorry I left this way. But I thought it would be easiest for us all. It has become clear to me that we can not travel together to base camp on the east coast. When we are together, we shine and I do not want to make more Antrans aware of it. That's why I drove up. I put the holoprojector and the data disk for the jeep in your backpack. You will find both easy. I hope you forgive me and do not be mad at me. I will ride my motorbike for about 6 hours and then leave a sign for you, where you can see exactly where I am. I hope that we meet again tonight. Please take good care of yourself and stay safe. R xoxo"**

B'Elanna stared at the few lines for a long time, reading them again and again, until she finally understood what they were trying to tell her. Then she wrinkled the note angrily and gave her anger free air, in which she punched against the tree trunk with her fists and kicked it with her feet. Meanwhile, she cursed in Klingon wild and loud.

Treena and Keenara looked at her anxiously. Both Antrans did not know exactly what to think of B'Elanna's rage or how to behave. Therefore, they sat with their prey a few meters away and began to eat hungry.

B'Elanna raged and raged for a moment longer until she realized she was wasting time, which she was better off using to get Root. She let the tree be tree and rummaged in her backpack, which was leaning against the tree, for the holoprojector and the data disc. Root was right, she found both very fast.

"I have to go. You're okay?" She asked the two Antrans who still ate their prey. Both looked up and nodded their heads.

"Well. Take care and stay away from the big cities and the streets. I think then you will be safe. Saying goodbye is not my thing. So farewell." B'Elanna said and nodded briefly to the two Antrans before she took Sevens backpack and her own backpack and was already running across the meadow towards the road.

Treena and Keenara watched her before they continued to eat.

"We should follow them, do not you think?" Treena asked after he had finally satisfied his hunger.

"They do not want us to follow them. They showed us how to look after ourselves." Keenara replied reasonably.

"But we still do not shine. I want to shine and they do not know how they do it, they shine, but we can certainly learn a lot from them." replied Treena decisively.

"Well, then we'll follow them." Keenara gave in to his friend.

**Voyager**

While B'Elanna was chasing after Root, the door buzzer, from Kathryn's door, hummed punctually at lunchtime. After shouting "Come in" Seven gracefully entered the quarters.

Kathryn's eyes lit up when she saw how beautiful Seven looked in her long red-brown patterned dress, the sand-colored loose-fitting pullover over it, the brown lace-up boots, and her short ruffled hair.

Seven joined Kathryn and Kathryn immediately took the young woman in her arms and kissed her tenderly. Seven returned the kiss gently and both women lost several moments in this kiss before they parted breathlessly from each other.

"I missed you darling. You look beautiful in this outfit. Did you change clothes for me?" Kathryn asked, smiling at Seven.

"I missed you too. And I changed my clothes because Ensign Tal Celes soiled my previous clothes with a liquid that she accidentally spilled over me. My Changed Look has obviously brought her even more out of balance than she has always been." Explained Seven and then sighed.

Kathryn chuckled at the idea how poor Tal Celes accidentally soiled Seven. Seven raised her eyepiece implant and looked at Kathryn seriously.

"What's so funny about that?"

"Oh no darling, I just hope you left Tal Celes alive. Do you, right?"

"Of course." Seven said coolly, then winked at Kathryn. "More or less."

Kathryn looked at Seven with wide eyes and her mouth was open, before she could say anything, Seven grinned at her wide. "Kathryn, that was a joke. Ensign Tal Celes is alive and well."

"Oh, good." Kathryn said a little irritated. "I see your humor has increased significantly lately. Nice. Come on, let's sit on the couch." Kathryn took Seven by the hand and led her over to the couch.

"What about the lunches?"

"Before you came, I already had a sandwich. I knew you did not want to eat anything, so I thought, I'll start. So we have more time for the dessert." Kathryn replied and looked at Seven seductively.

"Very efficient." Seven praised and leaned toward Kathryn. Her hand touched Kathryn's head and pulled him to her. Her lips covered Kathryn's lips and her tongue gently stroked them. Kathryn opened her mouth and her tongue touched Seven's tongue and played with her.

Kathryn immediately put her hands around Seven's waist and pulled the young woman closer. The kiss deepened more and more as both women wandered their hands. Kathryn's hand trailed over Seven's back down to her bottom. Once there, she stroked her hand over it, past the thigh, up to Seven's dress hem. Her hand slid underneath, stroking gently over Seven's soft, smooth skin, first up, then back to her knees. Her hand continued on the inside of Seven Thighs and Seven groaned softly as Kathryn's hand moved purposefully toward her crotch.

Kathryn meanwhile nibbled on Seven's lower lip and enjoyed, Seven hands, on her back and gently stroking her.

Kathryn Fingers continued to slide over Seven's lace panties, her crotch up and down. In Seven, a pleasant warmth developed and her heart began to beat wildly. Kathryn's finger on her crotch made her very fuzzy. She felt the heat gather in her loins, and at every tender touch sparks of pleasure ran through her.

"Yes." Seven moaned into the touch and Kathryn, who took that as a confirmation, rubbed harder at Seven. Seven clung to Kathryn, her hands, her fingers dug into Kathryn's back and pulled her closer.

Seven dropped her head against the couch and groaned lustfully. Kathryn took that as a reason and kissed the long neck of Seven, while a finger of her made his way under Seven's lace panties.

"Darling, is that okay with you?" Kathryn asked excitedly and in a husky hoarse voice.

"Yes." Seven groaned again. "Yes, please…"

"Doctor at Seven of Nine. Please contact me "

Kathryn stopped touching Seven and exclaimed in frustration, "No! Goddamn! No!"

Seven looked apologetically at her with glassy eyes in love.

"Answer him better before he even comes up with the idea of asking the computer where you are." asked Kathryn promptly.

Seven nodded to her before tapping her communicator.

"Seven here. What is there doctor?" She asked, trying to get her usual cool voice, which she did not fully succeed in the face of the activity she had just attended.

"Oh Seven, are you alright? You sound a little out of breath." the doctor asked immediately worried.

Seven flushed and grinned at Kathryn. "Yes I'm fine. I've just completed a training session." lie Seven, and for that her first lie ever, Kathryn looked at her proudly and showed her a raised thumb, conjuring a charming smile on Seven's face.

"Why are you calling?" She asked shortly afterwards.

"I wanted to alert you to your health check, which starts in about 5 minutes. Usually you're here earlier rather than late. So I thought you might have forgotten the check." The doctor answered logically.

Seven frowned, forgetting the health check. But instead of admitting that, she answered coolly. "I am Borg. I never forget anything. I'm on my way."

Kathryn groaned in frustration and reluctantly released Seven.

When Seven got up, Kathryn saw that Seven was a mess. Her hair was even fluffier and her clothes crumpled. Her lips were partially smeared with her lipstick, her face was flushed and her eyes glassy with excitement.

Quickly she rose and pulled Seven into a stormy kiss before releasing her again.

"Darling, you have to go to the bathroom before you go and wipe my lipstick off your face. Come on, I'll help you." Kathryn took Seven's hand and pulled her into the bathroom.

There she moistened a washcloth with water and washed Seven's face and her mouth clean. Then she ruffled her fingers through Seven's short hair and tried to straighten her neatly. After she was satisfied with the result, she smiled broadly at Seven.

"The doctor really has a terrible timing." She sighed disappointed. "I hope tonight, nobody will interrupt us."

Seven pulled Kathryn into her arms and kissed her on the cheek. "Yes, nobody will interrupt us tonight." Promised Seven, hoping very much that she was right.

"You have to leave before the doctor sends another search party for you." Kathryn said and reluctantly pushed Seven out the door.

"See you later, darling."

************************

When Seven had left her quarters, Kathryn sighed heavily and sank frustratedly into her reading chair. In her mind, she took her finger, which had just slipped in seven step through her moisture and smelled it. It smelled delicious, so she put her finger in her mouth and sucked him in thoughts of Seven from.

Being so close to her and touching her in this way had made Kathryn so infinitely agile and wet in her own panties. In thought of her young lover, she put her hand in her starfleet pants and slid under her panties. Her fingers slid through her moisture and rubbed against her clit. While her other hand wandered under her starfleet uniform and massaged her breast. Her nipples hardened immediately and she took one between her fingers. The fabric of the bra rubbed over the sensitive nipple and excited Kathryn even more. Groaning, she closed her eyes and leaned back in the reading chair.

Kathryn moistened her fingers with her moisture, rubbing gently on her then clenching her clit, imagining that it was Seven's hand that so touched and seduced her.

In her imagination, Seven's slim long fingers traveled through their moisture to the source and then gently penetrated her. Only two, then three fingers, thrust into and out of them in a steady rhythm. While the thumb massaged her clitoris further.

Trapped in this fantasy, Kathryn was quickly overrun by an orgasm that paralyzed her for a moment. Hot waves of pleasure rolled through her body and she felt completely released. Groaning, she enjoyed this orgasm until it subsided and left her completely detached.

"Oh my god." She murmured softly, if only one fantasy of Seven was enough to give her such an overwhelming orgasm, an orgasm she had never experienced before as intense and intoxicating as it would be when she was dating Seven would experience this experience?


	26. Chapter 26

B'Elanna had chased with the Jeep after for several hours behind Root. She'd stopped at each intersection and looked for Root's clues. And indeed, Root had left a mark on each intersection in which direction she had driven on.

In the early afternoon she arrived at a pathway where there was no further indication of where Root had gone. Instead, a red cloth was hanging from a tree nearby. On closer inspection, B'Elanna had to laugh for the first time that day. It was a panties. B'Elanna looked at him for a moment and even smelt it, but he smelled fresh of a type of flower that B'Elanna could not name.

B'Elanna stuffed the panties into her trouser pocket, deactivated the holoprojector and collected it. Then she grabbed her and Seven's backpack and walked through the tall grass that had already trampled down by Root.

After about half an hour, she saw a movement from a distance. She quickly ran towards it. Just before she arrived at Root, she dropped the backpacks in the grass. Then she stormed further in Roots direction.

Just before B'Elanna arrived at her, Root raised her head and dropped the firewood, which she piled into a campfire, when she saw B'Elanna, she beamed at her with a warm smile.

But instead B´Elanna to Root also running towards joy, B'Elanna crashed full on Root and pressed them to the ground. Then she scowled at Root and cursed in Klingon. Root tried to free himself, but B'Elanna made it difficult for her.

"B'E, release me, you hurt me." Jammered Root, but B'Elanna continued to glare at her.

"Who do you Think You Are? Just leave me alone with the Antrans and go alone. If you think I'll just forget it then you cut yourself. I'll rip your ass off, tear you apart, then crumple you up and throw you in the garbage collector. I'll ..." B'Elanna lingered on for a while while she continued to hold on to Root, verbally venting her anger on her.

Root, on the other hand, thought feverishly about how she could get B'Elanna off without causing much damage to the half-Klingon. Although she had her Taser nearby and she could reach him, she did not want to make B'Elanna any more angry. Therefore she left the taser where he was.   
Instead she tried to push herself up and pry B'Elanna down, but she was not in the right position to perform this maneuver. So she gave up, hoping that B'Elanna would soon calm down and then let go. At that moment, Root wanted to strike and knock the angry half-Klingon out of her and show her that she could not handle her like that. She would tear down B'Elanna and rip her ass and crumple her together and ...

"B'E?" Asked Root suddenly alarmed and B'Elanna looked at her worried. "Yes?"

"There was something moving in your pants, in your crotch. What's that?" Root asked, looking worried at B'Elanna as well.

B'Elanna looked down and could see the bump in her pants as well. Ever since she sat on Root and had spoken angrily to her, she had begun to twitch in her crotch and warm. And now she had the shame. Quickly she got up from Root and turned away from her.

"B'E, are you okay?" Root asked worriedly and got up from the floor and walked towards B'Elanna.

But B'Elanna quickly walked away from Root and stood at a tree.

Root ran after her and stood right in front of her, watching her closely.

B'Elanna was shaking with rage and she certainly did not want to talk to Root now about what was going on in her pants, so she growled at her savagely and shoved her against the tree and held her by her upper arms.

Root howled in pain as her back rammed against the tree trunk, then glared at B'Elanna and breathed faster. The sheer power that B'Elanna was radiating, the willingness to do so also made Root very startled.

"No, nothing's alright." B'Elanna growled at her and looked at her with a wild look. "Just leave me alone, then it's better again." She hissed Root with teeth together.

But Root was only more excited by B'Elanna's unruly rage. So she leaned forward and pressed her lips to B'Elanna's lips. She opened her mouth and caught B'Elanna's lower lip with her teeth and bit hard.

B'Elanna groaned with pain and excitement and pushed Root even further against the tree trunk. Root wrapped her long legs around B'Elanna's waist and kissed her furiously while B'Elanna Root and herself leaned against the tree trunk to keep her footing.

Root clenched her fingernails into B'Elanna's jacket and clung to it, while B'Elanna had kissed Roo's neck, then bite vigorously. Root groaned loudly in pleasure and her head tipped back against the tree trunk.

Her heart was racing and it was not the unpleasant way, but the way that made her feel alive, and she never wanted to lose that feeling again. For a long time, she had not felt so alive. She wanted more of it. More from B'Elanna. So she clung to her desperately and wished that what they were doing would not stop so fast.

But without warning B'Elanna suddenly stopped. Root opened her eyes and looked at B'Elanna with glassy eyes.

B'Elanna tremblingly sat down with Root on the forest floor. Her anger was gone and her agitation suddenly, replaced by concern for Root. She had heard her racing heart beat wildly and felt her slim, almost feathery body pressed against her.

"What?" Asked Root confused.

"I ... I'm sorry. In my anger, I pushed you against the tree and bit you. I am completely out of control. Are you alright?" B'Elanna asked worriedly.

Root still looked irritated. "That's why you stop? Because you are suddenly aware of your actions? B'E I'm fine, but God damn, do not stop, fuck me and make me yours. My body screams for you, my heart is racing and beating wildly just for you. Please, do not let me hang it. I need and I want you now." Root replied desperately.

B'Elanna looked at Root stunned, but in her pants was once again the evil that has called forth only this whole damn situation.

Root had noticed as well and looked curiously at B'Elanna's step. With a touch of sheer determination, Root drew B'Elanna to her and kissed her eagerly as her fingers danced over B'Elanna's clothes and quickly took them off. B'Elanna, who was at first completely surprised, returned the kiss and pulled Root out, too.

Within a short time, both were completely naked and B'Elanna could not hide what had made her crazy in her pants. Embarrassed, she looked at the floor, but Root put her hand under her chin and lifted it. So they can look each other in the eye. Root looked at B'Elanna with admiring and excited eyes. Then she pressed herself against B'Elanna's naked body and pulled her close. She whispered in her ear in a hoarse voice.

"B'E, you are beautiful. There is no reason to be ashamed. Please fuck me with it, I swear, if you do not, I'll drop dead here with lust right here."

B'Elanna met Root's eyes and she knew that she wanted root just as much as Root wanted her right now. So she wrapped her arms around Root's slender body and pulled her close. Then she put her hands under Roots Po and picked them up easily and leaned them against the tree trunk. Root wrapped her legs around B'Elanna's hip as she introduced her clit penis, so only B'Elanna called him (she did not know what he was exactly, just that he had grown out of her second clit) in Roots Pussy, which is already very wet was.

Root moaned loudly as B'Elanna's clit penis, which at the beginning was only about 5cm long and a little bit thicker than her thumb, continued to expand in her pussy and seemed to lengthen.

B'Elanna pushed him deep into Root and Root spun her pelvis in rhythm with B'Elanna's push, which were soft and sometimes hard. Meanwhile, Root had clung to B'Elanna and her fingers were anchored deep in her back skin and scratched the skin.

Both women moaned loudly and lustfully while they were connected and kissed each other stormily and rocked against each other. Through both bodies chased a heat wave of pleasure and all the senses were simultaneously sharpened and yet fogged. Time seemed to stand still and both hearts beat in desperation in unison, as suddenly B'Elanna's clitpenis launched hundreds of small barbs and hooked into Roots pussy walls. And out of him a warm surge broke out and spilled in Roots pussy.

Root cried out in pain as everything inside seemed to explode and an orgasm rolled over her and pulled her away.

B'Elanna felt in the same instant, as Root, how a barrier exploded inside her and her clitpenis suddenly jumped wildly in Root and chased an orgasm through her body. Groaning loudly, she howled, her heart beat fast, her blood rushed through her body and she forgot everything around her.

Only after her orgasm had weakened did she realize that Root was hanging unconscious in her arms.

Quickly she tried to pull her clitpenis out of Root, but the barbs were so entangled in root that it was impossible for them to pull him out of Root without seriously hurting them. So she carefully sat down with Root on the forest floor and lay on her back.

Root lay on top of her now and to B'Elanna's relief she could hear her heart beat regularly and also feel the throbbing on her bare chest. B'Elanna wrapped her arms around Root's naked body in relief and held her tightly against her.

Before exhaustion B'Elanna fell asleep shortly afterwards and also Root, who after a moment came to, snuggled up to B'Elanna and fell asleep happy and carefree.

*********************

Treena and Keenara had stared blankly as B'Elanna Root held onto the tree and then poured something into her. Not only could they shine, or as Root called it, they could see the aura, no, they could see inside as well. So they saw the B'Elanna, over and over again with this thing in root and exited and they heard the groans and the little cries here and there.

When Root suddenly screamed out loud, they saw the thing in her clawed out and locked in her. They saw the thing pumping a liquid into root and they saw both of them, both Root and B'Elanna, suddenly flushed with hot, hot waves and then their lights or aura exploded at the same time, merging into a single glowing blister. The colors in this bubble vibrated and turned into a huge whole.

Both Antrans watched the spectacle in awe. Only when B'Elanna and Root sat down together in the high grass and the two did not move any further, the reverence of the two dissolved and they moved closer to the two.

Quick Treena and Keenara saw that the two naked women, completely exhausted, were deeply and soundly asleep.

Root had already projected the accommodation and there was also a bed in it. Therefore, Treena carefully took root in his arms, while Keenara took B'Elanna in his arms and both brought her to the accommodation and gently put they to bed. Root snuggled up to B'Elanna in his sleep.

Treena covered both women with the blanket and both Antrans left the Both Antrans watched the spectacle in awe. Only when B'Elanna and Root sat down together in the high grass and the two did not move any further, the reverence of the two dissolved and they moved closer to the two.  
Quick Treena and Keenara saw that the two naked women, completely exhausted, were deeply and soundly asleep.

Root had already projected the accommodation and there was also a bed in it. Therefore, Treena carefully took root in his arms, while Keenara took B'Elanna in his arms and both brought her to the accommodation and gently put they to bed. Root snuggled up to B'Elanna in his sleep.

Treena covered both women with the blanket and both Antrans left the accommodation.

*********************

"You see, it was a good idea to follow the two. Had we not done so, we would never have witnessed how they got connected and their shine became bigger and more colorful than before." Treena excitedly said to Keenara.

"What do we do now? Do you want to stay?"

"Yes, I want to stay, I want to discuss the experience with the two. You can certainly tell us what that means, what they did. Maybe we can do it too and come to our shine." Treena replied confidently.

"I'm afraid B'E will get mad at us when she sees us. You have seen what she is capable of and how angry she can become." Keenara pointed out.

"Root will not let B'E scold us or harm us. She is our friend."

"I do not have something B'E has, do you have that?" Keenara said thoughtfully.

"No, I do not have that either. Maybe we have something else, something like that. Do we want to look?"

Keenara nodded and the two Antrans began to undress and search each other for something that might be something similar B'Elanna had put into Roots body.

The two touched each other at the different parts of her body, in some places it was extremely pleasant and they lingered with their touches in the places longer and more intense. Elsewhere, they did not say anything, so they looked for other places that were more comfortable again. So they spent several hours exploring and touching each other while nothing moved or stirred in the accommodation.

*********************

"You see, it was a good idea to follow the two. Had we not done so, we would never have witnessed how they got connected and their shine became bigger and more colorful than before." Treena excitedly said to Keenara.

"What do we do now? Do you want to stay?"

"Yes, I want to stay, I want to discuss the experience with the two. You can certainly tell us what that means, what they did. Maybe we can do it too and come to our shine." Treena replied confidently.

"I'm afraid B'E will get mad at us when she sees us. You have seen what she is capable of and how angry she can become." Keenara pointed out.

"Root will not let B'E scold us or harm us. She is our friend."

"I do not have something B'E has, do you have that?" Keenara said thoughtfully.

"No, I do not have that either. Maybe we have something else, something like that. Do we want to look?"

Keenara nodded and the two Antrans began to undress and search each other for something that might be something similar B'Elanna had put into Roots body.

The two touched each other at the different parts of her body, in some places it was extremely pleasant and they lingered with their touches in the places longer and more intense. Elsewhere, they did not say anything, so they looked for other places that were more comfortable again. So they spent several hours exploring and touching each other while nothing moved or stirred in the accommodation.


	27. Chapter 27

The door buzzer sounded right on schedule at Kathryn's quarter-door. Kathryn quickly hurried to the door and let Seven in.

All through the afternoon Kathryn had had to think about Seven and her imagination, and now she was so excited that she was nervous with excitement.  
As always, Seven walked confidently into Kathryn's quarters, and when she saw Kathryn, she gave her a charming smile. But then she raised her eyepiece implant and looked at Kathryn worried.

"Kathryn?"

"Hello darling, nice that you are here." Kathryn tried to answer normally, but her voice was suddenly very scratchy and shaky.

"What about you? Are you all right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, why are you asking?" Kathryn asked, turning to the dining table, where the stasis bowls, the food she had picked up from Mr. Chell, were waiting for the two women.

"Your heartbeat has increased, your body temperature suggests that it has risen, your pupils are dilated, and your face is flushed." Seven listed all the signs she had asked Kathryn about her well-being.

Kathryn turned back to Seven and smiled sheepishly at her. "It's just the excitement, that's all."

"Excitement? Explain that to me." Seven demanded softly as she approached Kathryn and pulled her into her arms.

"I've missed you since lunch and well, you sure remember what we did before you had to leave?"

"Yes."

"Now my thoughts turned around it all afternoon and about the fantasy of what would have happened if the doctor had not interrupted us. And now that you're back here with me, I'm just a little bit upset and to be exact, too nervous."

Seven looked at her for a long moment and Kathryn knew that Seven was going through everything in her smart little head and analyzing the situation to the smallest detail.

"What imagination did you have and is the excitement a good thing or are you afraid of what might happen tonight?"

"No darling, I'm afraid of nothing that could happen tonight. It's just the idea to hold you in my arms, to kiss you, to touch and explore you, which just upsets me and makes me nervous. It's nothing bad, it's anticipation. So everything is okay." Kathryn said and breathed a sweet kiss on Seven's lips.

Seven returned the kiss before she broke away from Kathryn and sat down at the dining table.

Both women ate their food in a pleasant silence. During the meal, they often held each other's hands, looked in love with their eyes, smiled softly, and occasionally fed each other.

After dinner Kathryn took Seven hand and led her through the bedroom to the bathroom. There she sat on the edge of the bathtub and let hot water run into the tub and poured scented oils.

Seven watched her with interest. Although Kathryn had told her that she did not need to know anything about bathing in the bathtub, she had nonetheless researched it. So she already knew that belonged to a romantic bath and fragrance oils, the candles were lit and the bathroom should illuminate in a romantic dim light and in the background romantic music should run. Everything should be romantic anyway.

But Kathryn had no candles in the bathroom and there was no music. Seven wondered when that part would come.

After the water was let in, Kathryn pulled Seven close and kissed her sweetly on her lips.

"Are you ready for a bathing?" She quietly asked Seven and Seven nodded her head.

"May I help you undress?" Kathryn asked a little timidly.

"No" Seven said shortly, and Kathryn looked at her in surprise. "No?"

"No, I would like to help you undress, please allow me." Seven replied, pulling away from Kathryn's arms and looking at her expectantly.

Kathryn swallowed twice and blushed. "Darling I am, I am no longer the youngest and I ..."

Seven put her long finger on Kathryn's lips and stopped her stuttering.

"Shht, I know who you are, you do not have to tell me anything. I love you as much as you are and who you are. Helping you undress now and see you naked will not change my love for you. Please allow me my request." Seven said softly and looked at Kathryn tenderly.

Kathryn nodded her head and Seven opened the first button on Kathryn's blouse, which she had put on for dinner this evening.

After Seven had opened the button, she kissed Kathryn Hals softly and kissed down to where she had just opened, while she was already opening the next button. Slowly, Seven worked her way down the button placket and kissed the skin she uncovered. When all the buttons were open, she slid the blouse from Kathryn's shoulders and her hands moved to close Kathryn's bra. Just before she cleverly opened the lock, she looked Kathryn deep in the eye again and waited a moment for Kathryn to approve or reject her actions.

But Kathryn had closed her eyes and enjoyed Seven gentle lips on her skin. Thus, Seven quickly released the clasp and now also grazed the bra sluggards of Kathryns shoulders and threw the bra aside. Then she looked at Kathryn's bare chest and looked at admiringly.

Kathryn opened her eyes and looked at Seven uncertainly.

"Do you like what you see?" She asked softly. She knew she was almost twice her age as Seven and she could never keep up with her beautiful body. But she had also done well, for a woman of her age. She did not train regularly, but only when she had time, but at least she tried.

"Yes." Seven said softly and leaned down to Kathryn and pulled her into a hot, heated kiss as she held Kathryn firmly in her arms.

When she broke away from Kathryn, she said in a gentle tone, "You are beautiful. Your breasts are arranged symmetrically correct, your nipples are in their stiff state in the correct height, your stomach is taut and ... "

Kathryn nudged Seven in her side so she paused and looked at Kathryn curiously. "Darling, it's not nice to tease me." Kathryn said softly.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to cheer you up a bit. You have been worried about your body and your age. But I love you the way you are. Please be carefree." Seven said softly.

Then she sat on the edge of the bathtub and pulled Kathryn to her. She nestled her head between Kathryn's breasts and put her arms around Kathryn's upper body. Her lips touched a stiff nipple and pulled him into her mouth. Kathryn moaned into this caress and gave herself to this heavenly feeling, while Seven continued to nibble on her nipple and sucked.

Seven's right hand moved to Kathryn's pants and carefully opened the button on it. Kathryn held her breath. Seven shoved her pants over Kathryn's hipbone and her pants slid to the floor. Then she put her hands on Kathryn's buttocks and massaged them while continuing to caress Kathryn's nipples.  
Kathryn groaned deeply and Seven smiled as she devoured Kathryn's nipple.

Kathryn's legs began to tremble and slowly gave way. But Seven held her gently and securely.

Seven released her left hand from Kathryn's buttock and pushed her forward to Kathryn's stomach. Without Kathryn realizing, Seven activated her assimilation tubes. One instructed her to glide over Kathryn's nipple and wrap around it, massage and knead it, while the other assimilation tube slipped under Kathryn's panties and cautiously searched her clit, then alternately rubbed lightly and hard on it.

Kathryn was so lost in the touch of Seven that she did not realize that it was impossible for the Seven Right hand to rest on her buttock, but that her left hand lay on her stomach as well as in her panties and nipple her mischief drifted.

Kathryn's body swiftly caught an unfamiliar heat, and inside she was all wide awake and hypersensitive. Every nerve end of her body was torn to shreds and her breathing got out of control. Her head was buzzing and she was no longer able to think clearly. And then all at once, everything that had built up in the meantime exploded inside her and rolled through her body in hot electric waves. Kathryn lost herself in intensity as she groaned loud and deep and gave herself completely to orgasm.

Kathryn's body jerked uncontrollably as Seven held her tight and admired the loud groans of Kathryn, storing each moment of Kathryn's orgasm in her cortical knot.

Carefully pulling her assimilation tubes back, she held Kathryn's trembling and limp body firmly in her arms. She kissed gentle kisses on Kathryn's stomach while Kathryn slowly came to herself.

******************

"Darling, that was the most intense thing I've ever experienced, how did you do that?" Kathryn asked as she slipped the washcloth over Seven's bare back and soaped the young woman.

Seven sat in front of Kathryn in the bathtub, between her slender legs and grinned knowingly.

"I'm Borg." She replied cool, but then chuckled cheekily.

"So you do not want to tell me your secret?" Kathryn asked curiously.

"No, where would the fun be?" Seven replied teasingly.

"I think you spent too much time with Root." Kathryn sighed.

"I miss Root and B'Elanna." Seven replied softly, letting her shoulder hang a little. Kathryn set aside the washcloth and put her arms around Seven's upper body, pulling her young mistress close.

"The ion storm will soon pass and then we will be able to collect the rest of the crew, Root and B'Elanna. The two are certainly fine. Do not worry. Root once said to me that I should not worry about her, because she's already a big girl, which can take good care of herself. And she has B'Elanna by her side. They're both doing well." Kathryn Seven tried to cheer her up and take away her worries about the two friends.

Seven nodded her head and, lost in thought, brushed her hand through the warm bathwater. She liked bathing quite well, especially the mutual washing and sitting close together in the bathtub.

Slowly, Kathryn Seven drew even closer and Seven leaned her back against Kathryn's upper body. Kathryn's hands moved tenderly over Seven's breasts and her stomach as she gently kissed Seven's neck and neck.

Suddenly, Kathryn's communicator, which she had put on her nightstand in the bedroom, hummed. Annoyed and annoyed Kathryn broke away from Seven and looked at her apologetically as she jumped out of the bathtub and quickly put on the bathrobe and hurried into the bedroom.

"Chakotay to Captain, please call me." Chakotay's voice came from the communicator and Kathryn tapped it quickly.

"Chakotay, what is?" She asked in Captain mode. She'd told Chakotay several hours ago not to bother her this evening about trivialities, and he had looked at her wryly. But Kathryn had not responded. Chakotay had promised to disturb her only when absolutely necessary. Therefore, Kathryn knew now that it would have to be serious if he bothered her now.

"The ion storm has cleared and we received a message from the government of Antrie. The message seems to be one to two days old. The government tells us to get our crew members who are still on Antrie back to Voyager immediately. If we do not, they threaten us with the capture of our crew members. They talk about some incident that has messed up their whole society. They are very angry and determined to all. I took the liberty of sending back a counter message telling them that we would pick up our crew members immediately. However, we need a few hours, as we are not directly at Antrie, but a few light-years away, have waited the Ion storm. They give us 5 hours. I have already set course. We'll be there in less than 2 hours." Chakotay told her about the latest events.

"Thanks Chakotay, I'm on my way. Give me 15 minutes." Kathryn said and broke the connection.

Kathryn turned to Seven, who had also climbed out of the bathtub and stood in front of Kathryn, wearing a towel.

"I'm so sorry Darling, but we're needed on the bridge. Do you have any idea what that incident might have been?"

"Maybe it's because the Antrans looked so strange to us. Maybe more has happened in the meantime." Logically, Seven responded. Then she dropped the towel from her body and put on fresh underwear. Kathryn looked at her admiringly and sighed disappointingly. She had imagined the evening and the night with Seven differently.

"I'm really curious to know what happened to Antrie." Kathryn mumbled to herself.

"Me too, but I hope Root and B'Elanna is fine." Seven said anxiously and Kathryn took her in her arms and hugged her gently.

"I'm sure they're fine." Kathryn replied reassuringly, and Seven nodded her head.

When both had finished dressing, they made their way together to Bridge. When she arrived at the bridge, she looked at Chakotay with a wry smile. But Kathryn tried to ignore it.

"Report." she asked in captain mode instead.


	28. Chapter 28

When B'Elanna awoke, she looked around confusedly in the half-lit the accommodation. Only after a while did she realize where she was. But how she got here, she did not know.

Root lay naked, half on her body and B'Elanna stroked gently over the scratched and scabby-backed back of Root. Every single scratch Root had caught on the tree bark when B'Elanna had pressed her against them during their joint sex was carefully traced with her fingers. She was ashamed that she had caused such pain to the woman she loved so much. Slowly she broke away from Root and slipped out of bed. Only then did she notice the big blood stain on her thigh. Quickly she went into the bathroom and washed it off and examined herself to find out where the blood had come from. But since she could not find anything, it had to be from Root.

"Shit" B'Elanna mumbled to herself, her clit penis had pulled out his barb in Roots Puzzy and that must have hurt her. B'Elanna sat exhausted and completely demoralized on the toilet and took her head between her hands and considered how she could make amends.

Silent and careful, she lay down next to Root again and Root cuddled up to her again. B'Elanna sighed and sank back into the pillows.

"Root?" She asked quietly and Root just mumbled "Hmmmm?" Sleepy.

"I'm so sorry, please forgive me."

Root, who was not really awake yet, blinked at B'Elanna in amazement through half-opened eyes. When she saw how depressed B'Elanna was lying next to her in the pillows, she sat up quickly.

"What?" She asked irritated.

"I'm sorry, I hurt you and I wanted to apologize for that." B'Elanna said softly.

Root still looked at her as if she had no idea what B'Elanna meant. B'Elanna sighed deeply.

"Your whole back is bruised, you have bruises everywhere and your pussy is bleeding." Explained B'Elanna.

Root looked at B'Elanna in surprise and raised the covers to see if she was really bleeding. When she saw nothing, she slipped her hand into her crotch and felt her pussy there. Then she took her hand and looked at her again.

"Hm ... if I'm bleeding, it has stopped again." Then Root snuggled close to B'Elanna and kissed her gently on the cheek and ran her hand over B'Elanna's bare chest and circled her nipple, the again had become hard.

"I forgive you, but only because, for the first time in a very long time, I felt so infinitely alive when we had sex. I love the way you took me and the few scratches on my back and that little bit of blood have always been worth it. Come, do not look so depressed, everything is fine. I'm fine. I just hope you did not shoot hot. "Root replied and winked cheerfully at B'Elanna as she laid her lips on B'Elanna's hard nipples and bit into it with her teeth shortly afterwards and B'Elanna with pain and excitement howling out loud.

Root freed her teeth from the nipple and breathed a sweet kiss on it. Then she grinned cheekily at B'Elanna and kissed a path over B'Elanna's belly to her mound.

"Root wait ..." B'Elanna breathed quickly. "I ..., please ... stop it."

Root stopped immediately and looked sulkily at B'Elanna, but said nothing, but lowered her head to the pillows next to B'Elanna and looked at her.

"Thank you. I would very much like to continue where we left off in the forest, but I'm afraid I'll hurt you even more than I've already done." Confess B'Elanna softly.

"Okay, but maybe you should know something about me." Root looked at B'Elanna seriously.

"I'm love a little bit to get hurt or injured. It's a kind of kick that excites me even more. And your Klingon side is so hot and so exciting. I want you to be exactly who you are. I do not want to have you next to me, if you pretend to be wrong or hold you back every time, just because you're afraid of hurting me or making my heart go limp. I want you, I want everything from you, not just your human side, but the whole package. Do you understand that? Can you give that to me?" Root asked desperately and B'Elanna looked at her silently for a long time.

"Dominique has always been so worried. It drove me crazy. We never had sex during our relationship because she was always worried about my heart. I hated that. So if you want to be just like Dom, then you better tell me right away, then I'm out of the number immediately. I do not need that again." said Root determinedly and got up from bed, grabbed her things and disappeared into the bathroom.

"Shit." B'Elanna swore softly and ran her hand over her forehead crest. "Crap"

Her communicator hummed at once, still lying on the floor with her waistcoat where all her clothes were lying. B'Elanna quickly hurried out of bed looking for her communicator and tapping him.

"Here is the captain, that goes to all who are still on the planet. The ion storm has passed and the government of Antrie has advised us to beam all crewmembers off the surface as fast as possible." the captain explained matter-of-factly.

B'Elanna tapped her communicator again. "Here is B'Elanna, we are not ready to beam yet, we still need some time to search our stuff together."

"Good B'Elanna, but hurry. There seems to be no jokes with the Antrie government. Let me know as soon as you are ready to beam." The captain answered and broke the connection.

B'Elanna quickly put on her clothes and knocked on the bathroom door.

"Root? We have…"

Root quickly opened the door and looked challengingly at B'Elanna. "I got it. I will deactivate everything, please search our backpacks together. Mine is there, where is yours and Sevens?"

"Out in the meadow somewhere. I'll get them quickly." B'Elanna hurriedly left the accommodation and stumbled over Treena and Keenara, who had pitched the accommodation in front of the lodge.

"By Kahles ..." B'Elanna cursed as she had regained her feet. "What damn you doing here?" She asked angrily, glaring at the two Antrans.

"We followed you." Treena said meekly.

"Why? We said goodbye to each other." B'Elanna replied angrily.

Root, who had just disabled the accommodation property, approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "B'E, leave they alone."

B'Elanna turned angrily to Root and now glared at her angrily. But Root ignored it and looked at the two Antrans.

"What are you doing here?" She asked softly.

"We followed you, we found you in the forest and brought you to the accommodation. We watched what you did in the forest and I have so many questions about it. And that's why we're still here." Stammered Treena, hoping it was not a mistake to tell all that.

"Once you have done what you have done, you are now lighting synchronous and you are connected by a bond. You are lit, no matter how far you are apart. Please explain what you have done. We want to know." Treena continued bravely.

B'Elanna stared at the two Antrans. "You have done something? You watched us during sex? God damn it, what are you for Voyeur?" B'Elanna kept cursing Klingon and both Antrans crouched close together in fear.

Root, on the other hand, began to laugh loudly and even had to hold his stomach in pain. B'Elanna and the two Antrans looked at her confused and irritated.  
Only after a few minutes she had regained control and wiped her eyes from tears.

"Guys, thank you for putting us to bed earlier. I think you learned a lot when you watched us sex. Use the knowledge and have fun. B'E and I, we'll be beaming right back to our spaceship. It was an honor to meet you. I wish you a long and happy life. Try to stay safe." Root first took Treena in her arms and hugged him and then Keenara.

Then she took her backpack and stood next to B'Elanna, who had meanwhile brought her and Seven backpack on the meadow. B'Elanna still glared at the Antrans before she tapped her communicator and said they were ready to beam up.

Shortly thereafter, the two Antrans saw the two women dematerialize in a bluish light.

Treena and Keenara looked at each other sadly, then sighed heavily. "Now we'll probably have to cope on our own." Treena muttered seriously and Keenara took his hand and squeezed it gently.

"Yes. Do you think we will make it?"

"I hope so."

End part 2. To be continued...


End file.
